Fish on! Silver King fever to hit Boca Grande next week Friday, 11 May 2012 13:06 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - The “big three” of Boca Grande tarpon tournaments will be held next weekend, May 17 through May 20, and it promises to be a weekend you’ll never forget. This year marks the renewal of the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce’s World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, the second year of the biggest children’s tarpon tournament, and a date change for the Chamber’s Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament. Read the Full Story

Fust to close June 1 for renovations Friday, 11 May 2012 13:04 BY LIZA STROUT - The packing has begun for the temporary closure of the Johann Fust Community Library. June 1 is the big day, and the staff and volunteers at the library are hard at work sorting and packing to be ready for the start of renovations. The books are coming off the shelves, being inspected and one-by-one they are joining the growing piles of boxes in the library. “The first day, I brought in 20 boxes, and we filled them,” said Michael Miller, administrator of the Johann Fust Library Foundation. “The second day I brought in 30. Today, I picked up 50 more boxes.” Read the Full Story

Fingers O’Bannon, Redbone tourneys held recently with local winners Friday, 11 May 2012 13:01 Boca Grande guides were running hot for the Raymond James Classic this year, which was hosted by the Gasparilla Inn & Club on May 3 and 4. Capt. Sandy Melvin and Capt. Mark Becton both took honors.
According to tournament officials, more than $97,000 was raised for cystic fibrosis research through the tournament this year. The Grand Champion team included winning angler Ron Walker, his partner Michael Vaughn and their guide, Melvin. Walker caught the first slam, which includes a snook, redfish, tarpon and trout.
Angler Gary Head, on the boat with Becton, another local guide, also caught a slam and tallied the most points for the event. Read the Full Story

Winner announced for ‘name the pirate girl painting’ contest Friday, 11 May 2012 12:55 "A Doggone Good Catch!" is the winning title for the “pirate girl” painting created by renowned artist Brendan Coudal for the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce's 2012 Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament. Virginia Witty of Punta Gorda submitted the witty winning entry, beating out more than 200 other submissions. Virginia (shown above with Chamber Director Lew Hastings) received print #1 from the 500 limited edition signed and numbered series, as well as a "treasure basket" from the Chamber of Commerce. Read the Full Story

Guest editorial: We made a promise, we need to keep it Friday, 11 May 2012 12:47 About 60 island property owners recently called on our bridge authority to break a promise we, as a community, made to the state in 1995 and once again in 2000. Who is responsible for operating, maintaining and replacing Boca Grande’s bridges and causeway? Based on that promise, we are. In 2000, the Florida Legislature passed an act re-creating the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority it had originally established in 1995. Most of the statute's language is technical. Not what you’d consider bedtime reading. But the rest is easy to comprehend for anyone interested in taking the time to understand what we told the Legislature we would do back in 1995 and again five years later. Read the Full Story

Letter to the Editor: GIBA board member supports tax referendum Friday, 11 May 2012 12:45 To the Editor: GIBA and its Board are bringing us three new bridges which will be safe, functional and aesthetically pleasing for a projected seventy-five years. During the last five years, and including the coming October toll increase, the board will have raised the cash toll from $4 to $6, a 50% increase, the discounted tolls from $2.25 to $3.90, and annual passes from $450 to $780, both reflecting a 73% increase. Proceeds from these increases have allowed us to repay previous debt (from the purchase of the bridges) and to finance both the design of the two fixed bridges and part of their construction. Read the Full Story

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Chamber needs 100 WRTT observers
If you’d like to be an observer for the 2012 World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, contact the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce now. All...
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Fish on! Silver King fever to hit Boca Grande next week

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

BY MARCY SHORTUSE - The “big three” of Boca Grande tarpon tournaments will be held next weekend, May 17 through May 20, and it promises to be a weekend you’ll never forget. This year marks the renewal of the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce’s World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, the second year of the biggest children’s tarpon tournament, and a date change for the Chamber’s Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament.

( 3 Votes )

Fust to close June 1 for renovations

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

BY LIZA STROUT - The packing has begun for the temporary closure of the Johann Fust Community Library. June 1 is the big day, and the staff and volunteers at the library are hard at work sorting and packing to be ready for the start of renovations.

The books are coming off the shelves, being inspected and one-by-one they are joining the growing piles of boxes in the library.

“The first day, I brought in 20 boxes, and we filled them,” said Michael Miller, administrator of the Johann Fust Library Foundation. “The second day I brought in 30. Today, I picked up 50 more boxes.”

( 1 Vote )

Fingers O’Bannon, Redbone tourneys held recently with local winners

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Boca Grande guides were running hot for the Raymond James Classic this year, which was hosted by the Gasparilla Inn & Club on May 3 and 4. Capt. Sandy Melvin and Capt. Mark Becton both took honors.
According to tournament officials, more than $97,000 was raised for cystic fibrosis research through the tournament this year.

The Grand Champion team included winning angler Ron Walker, his partner Michael Vaughn and their guide, Melvin. Walker caught the first slam, which includes a snook, redfish, tarpon and trout.
Angler Gary Head, on the boat with Becton, another local guide, also caught a slam and tallied the most points for the event.

( 1 Vote )

Tractor donated early to BIPS rangers

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

At its final board of directors meeting of the 2012 season, the Barrier Island Parks Society presented a special gift to the Florida Park Service … a John Deere industrial-strength tractor.

The tractor is to be used exclusively to support a number of park services at three of the state parks that BIPS supports – Gasparilla Island, Don Pedro Land Base and Stump Pass Beach.

( 1 Vote )

Funds still needed for Wildflower tarpon project

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Want to help the Lemon Bay Conservancy learn more about our area’s juvenile tarpon? Buy a T-shirt at the downtown Tarpon Festival next weekend.

Lemon Bay Conservancy is working closely with the Boca Grande Chamber and Capt. Sandy Melvin as a “conservation partner” for the big four-day set of tarpon tournaments and the festival from May 17-20. The Lemon Bay Conservancy will be selling children’s tarpon tournament T-shirts on Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, at the street festival.