Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Effective Thursday, March 19 all Lee County and Gasparilla Island beaches are closed due to concerns regarding COVID-19. This went into stringent effect at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 19. An emergency meeting of all mayors of Lee County municipalities and cities, Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman, Lee County Manager Roger […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Did you ever think things would get this crazy? Just a couple of weeks ago we were worried about things that seem so inconsequential now. Whether you believe this virus threat is real or not (and many people don’t), it is affecting your daily life in a very big way. My […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Profiles.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – family, business, sports and nonprofit work in a partnership capacity was a way of life for Phil Hubbard long before he and his wife Patsy began to winter in Boca Grande.Growing up in a middle-class family in Fairfi eld, Connecticut, sports were a huge part of his life. His interest in […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – If you don’t believe that COVID-19 is on the island, you should think again. That is the message the Boca Grande Health Clinic is putting out to everyone on Gasparilla Island right now, and if you need proof of that keep reading. “All I can say is get your head out of […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Obituaries.
Jean Wurtz, 86, of Boca Grande, formerly of Greenwich, Conn., passed away peacefully in the company of family on March 7, 2020. She was born on July 29, 1933 and is survived by her sisters, Sandra and Gloria; her three children, Richard, Randy, and Penny; and four grandchildren, Scott, Gregory, Heather, and Jennifer. She is […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Police & Fire, Profiles.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON If you thought the flare of the island would stop with the cops, think again. When a certain squad car rolls by the Loose Caboose, you can see the glitter of a pink steering wheel cover. Deputy April Tomyn is Boca Grande’s very first female sheriff of the Lee County Sheriffs. With […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY WESLEY LOCKE “Be a nuisance where it counts. Do your part to inform and stimulate the public to join your action. Be depressed, discouraged, and disappointed at failure and the disheartening effects of ignorance, greed, corruption and bad politics – but never give up.” -Marjory Stoneman Douglas As a passionate journalist, author, and environmentalist, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
STAFF REPORT When Wini Smart died in 2017, she left not only her wonderful paintings but a group of wonderful stories of her life and the acquaintances she made in Boca Grande. Wini’s paintings will be shared on March 16 at the Historical Society’s show and sale. The stories shared here are in her booklet, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON Word on this busy street is Tamela Sherman is leaving the Boca Grande post office, and it’s true! This Friday is the last day of the week she will hand over your mail. However, her motive behind leaving is her family. With three mouths to feed, Sherman has decided to transfer to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
SUBMITTED BY THE GICIA The GICIA has officially kicked off the restoration of Mercabo Cove. Did you know that Mercabo Cove is the northern most boundary of the smalltooth sawfish federally-designated area? Did you know there are only two places in the world where sawfish can be found, and those are Australia and Florida? […]