Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Lisa Sims, manager at Gasparilla Adventures, has been associated with Boca Grande since 2008. The first time she came to the island was to help with the wedding of Sarah Blakely (founder of Spanx) and Jessie itzsler at The Gasparilla Inn. The large celebration was the talk of the town, as wedding […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: It’s sea turtle nesting season in Florida, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is sharing guidelines on how you can make a difference for these endangered marine reptiles. As hatchlings begin to appear on beaches throughout the state, please remember that it is important to keep your distance from […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Last Friday, Aug. 8, Lee County Code Enforcement began an earnest attempt to clean up some of the complaints about businesses that were left lingering on the books in the Boca Grande Historic District. So far, all complaints have been closed – with the exception of one against The Loose Caboose […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE The discussion of several topics at the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board on Wednesday, Aug. 14 was quiet and quick until the last two items … and it was apparently those items that had the seats unusually full for an August meeting in Boca Grande. The topic that had the most […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN The parking area at the state park beach located at 680 Gulf Boulevard was temporarily closed due to Florida Light & Power utility work recently. The project was to secure hardening feeder maintenance for the power company. “This specific project is part of FPL’s efforts to strengthen the grid,” said Florida […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN The Florida Department of Environmental Protection launched a new Florida Park Service website in 2018, and this year they launched a new logo to help promote the 175 state parks, trails and historical sites throughout the state. “The Florida State Park logo officially changed earlier this year, and we received the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The State Fire Marshall couldn’t rule lightning out – or in, for that matter – in the incident that occurred at Gasparilla Inn Cottage 71 on Lee Avenue on Thursday, Aug. 8. At approximately 11 a.m. that day, Boca Grande and Englewood Fire responded to the call of a structure fire at […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT On Thursday, Aug. 8 Lee County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a residential burglary on the island (exact location redacted due to Marsy’s Law). According to reporting deputies, contact was made with the complainant, who is the caretaker of a home in Boca Grande. The caretaker said he witnessed a […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Joseph “J Baldy” Rinaldi, 76, passed into the never on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 10, 2019, surrounded by family and friends. He died from complications related to his battle with lung cancer. Baldy was born Joseph Leonard Rinaldi on April 21, 1942 to Joseph C. and Dolores F. (Colapietro) Rinaldi in Springfield, Massachusetts. He graduated from […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN If you’ve visited Hudson’s Grocery recently, you might have noticed a new face helping to run the store. Sporting a bright pink T-shirt, Mike Bower has been working hard at the store, learning how to run the business for the past several weeks. Working alongside his grandfather, John White, a long-time employee of […]