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 Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community.
Bringing a message of love and hope, the Rt. Rev. William Mostert will be the guest preacher at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church this weekend on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Bishop William recently retired as Bishop of the Diocese of Christ the King in Johannesburg, South Africa. “I’m retired, but not tired,” he quipped. Traveling to […]
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 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 Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
According to members of the Boca Grande Cell Phone Tower Committee, everything appears to be on track for complete carrier installation on the new tower by Thanksgiving. “We had a call yesterday with Verizon and today with Vertical Bridge,” said Committee Member Steve Raville. “Everyone maintains that the schedule is still on track to have […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured News, News.
New York interior designer and photographer Stephanie Stokes will visit Boca Grande to promote her new Rizzoli book “The World at Your Table” at a signing on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at J. McLaughlin.
The book, published in March, is about tabletops and indigenous architecture. The book evolved out of a series of Instagram posts. The table ideas came after Stokes had a horse accident, one which required numerous surgeries, and recuperation time at home.
“I would just invite one person or two people for dinner each night,” said Stokes. “If you are in crutches, it’s pretty nice to set up dinner.”
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.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News.
The Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation is honored to receive a beautiful one-of-a-kind shell mirror from local artist Samuel Hobbs to be auctioned off at the 29th annual Hank Wright Live Auction and Cocktail Party on Monday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. The event will be held at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club. Samuel Seabury […]