Tag: NoPaywall

Patchwork of Policies: How Florida beach towns manage public access

May 2, 2025
Staff Report
Community, News

BY MARCY SHORTUSE With a considerable population increase in Florida in the last five years, more and more Florida beach towns are being forced to consider what their options are as far as...

Art festival begins tarpon season of events on May 13

Excitement is brewing as anglers and artists prepare for the 2025 “World’s Richest” Tarpon Tournament and the Annual Boca Grande Tarpon Festival May 13 to 16 in downtown Boca Grande. The...

Irrigation overuse results in low island water pressure

Irrigation overuse last weekend resulted in a low pressure for water across the island. “We had about 30 percent chance of running out of water,” said Ron Bolton, executive director of...

O’Bannon on famed fishing podcast

Capt. Phil O’Bannon appeared this week on the Mill House podcast. The sporting show podcast is led by Andy Mill, an athlete, broadcaster and author. Mill, an Olympic skier, is the author of “A...

New banyan arrives for Town Park landscaping

BY THE GICIA The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association Town Park, located between 3rd and 5th Streets, is buzzing with activity. Restoration began on Monday, April 21....

Advanced water treatment begins on island

The Gasparilla Island Water Association now has its advanced water treatment up and running. “We turned on yesterday,” said GIWA Executive Director Ron Bolton. “We sent the ‘mixed liquor’...

Health Clinic breaks ground for Clinic of the Future

With the ceremonial turning of dirt, the Boca Grande Health Clinic has officially launched the construction of a new facility designed to better serve the Island’s healthcare needs – today and...

Port Boca Grande Lighthouse reopens after hurricane closure

The Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS) will reopen the historic Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Museum at Gasparilla Island State Park on Monday, May 5 after nearly eight months of closure due to...

Birds, paragliders fighting for shore leave

Charlotte County environmental specialists have posted a bird nesting area at the north end of Gasparilla Island in front of Island Court, but numbers have been unusually low due to human...

5th Street temporary beach access reopens

Lee County reopened the Boca Grande 5th Street Beach Access at dawn on Monday, April 28. This temporary access includes parking spaces and a ramp down to the beach. Patrons are advised that the...