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PROFILE: John Paul Turner

BY SUE ERWIN – John Paul Turner may have been born in Sarasota, but he’s a true Boca Grande local. “I think as soon as I could leave the hospital we were headed toward the bridges back to the island,” John Paul said. He was one of the first students to attend kindergarten through fifth grade […]

GIBA discusses new sidewalk to Bike Path, Watkins re-elected as chairman

BY KATHY BANSON-VERRICO – A new sidewalk from North Gulf Shores to the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Bike Path was discussed at the quarterly meeting of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, held on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The Board discussed with members of the Gulf Shores North Property Owners Association the plans for the creation of […]

Grande Glee performance to usher in beginning of Film Fest

 STAFF REPORT – It’s the night before the Boca Grande Film Festival officially begins, Tuesday, Feb. 18, a night when islanders gather in their golf carts to enjoy a night at the Drive-In, the Boca Grande way. It’s dusk. Too early, with too much light, which means the outdoor movie can’t begin. Still, the crowd needs […]

What’s that in the sky? Why, it’s a Jungle Penetrator!

BY MARCY SHORTUSE – If you were wondering why there was so much helicopter activity over the south end of the island this week, it was due to a combined water rescue training for island Lee County Sheriff’s deputies, the Boca Grande Fire Department and Lee County EMS. This training is part of an effort to […]

OBITUARY: Richard ‘Dick’ Meister

Richard T. (Dick) Meister, 100, a longtime resident of Waite Hill, Ohio and Boca Grande, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2020. Dick was a true gentleman with a lasting legacy. Born February 11, 1919 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late E.G.K. and Elsie Meister (nee Giesen), Dick is predeceased by the love of his […]

PROFILE: David Sparks

BY SUE ERWIN – Island author David Sparks knows a thing or two about political science, congressional campaigns and writing novels that amuse young adults. In 2018, David wrote a book called “Burying Pinkie Pie,” a story about a teenager who is dealing with the antics of life in a setting similar to Boca Grande. The […]