Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
John Dean Compton of North Port, Fla. passed away June 25, 2018 surrounded by his family. He died of natural causes after a short period of declining health. John was born March 20, 1930 to John E and Verdilla Compton in Menominee, Michigan. He graduated from Menominee High School, where he excelled in football, swimming […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■BY MARCY SHORTUSE When Amira Fox turns onto the Boca Grande Causeway, she feels a sense of relief come over her that is well earned. She is the chief assistant state attorney for the 20th Judicial Circuit, which serves Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee Counties, and her office heard more than 62,000 cases last […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, News, Opinion.
■BY MARCY SHORTUSE Since the recent mass shooting at a newspaper office up north, I have seen some really callous and negative comments about the media in response to the tragedy. “They’re all hacks. Who cares?” “It’s all fake news anyway.” Good to know community newspapers get so much support, right? After all, we’ve got […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The 2018 4th of July Bike Parade that has made the island famous will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 4. That means be at PJ’s Seagrille side parking area (between the Old Theatre Building and Englewood Bank & Trust) by at least 9:50 a.m. to get a primo spot […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Hype on social media and on local television news channels continues regarding our red tide bloom, and it’s easy to see why. It’s been a few years since we had a fish kill of this magnitude, particularly in combination with the death of larger fish and aquatic mammals. In the last […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Coughing and sneezing due to red tide is annoying enough … but as dead fish piled up on island beaches this week, the stench in the air certainly added to the unpleasantness. One thing is for sure, you have the beaches pretty much to yourself now. Boca Grande continues to be […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN So far this season, there are far fewer sea turtle nests on Gasparilla Island when compared to last year. The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association reported 281 Caretta caretta (loggerhead) turtle nests on the island. There were 352 on June 23, 2017. No Chelonia mydas (green) turtle nests have been discovered […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■BY SUE ERWIN If you’ve enjoyed a meal at the Boca Grande Club over the past several years, you would likely agree that the quality of food served was superb – both in presentation and taste. That’s because Executive Chef Greg Foos takes his job seriously, and he’s put together a culinary team he knows […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News, Obituaries.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE It’s very hard to put into words what Isabelle Joiner meant to the heart and soul of Gasparilla Island. She didn’t just live on the island, and she wasn’t just raised on the island. She truly was the island. On the morning of June 20, 2018, when she passed away, a tangible […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE UPDATE: Gov. Rick Scott has now issued an emergency order to allow water from Lake Okeechobee to be discharged to the south, into the Everglades, instead of directing runoff primarily east and west. The governor’s order calls for the suspension of rules and modification of permits to allow water to move […]