World's Richest day one complete, Spooked Again in the Lead Friday, 24 May 2013 13:12 Day 1 of the 2013 "World's Richest" Tarpon Tournament in the books. So far, 33 tarpon caught and safely released. Read the Full Story

World's Richest, Kids Classic, Art Festival and street party schedule of events Friday, 24 May 2013 13:06
Schedule of events for the World's Richest Tarpon Tournament, Gasparilla Island Kids Classic, Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival, and street party ... Read the Full Story

Happy Graduation to Abigail, Dafne, Luke and Jake, TIS 2013! Friday, 24 May 2013 10:19 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - Four tassels were turned on Thursday, May 23, as Luke Crosser, Dafne Garcia, Abigail Turner and Jake Van Atten graduated from fifth grade and from The Island School. Prior to their commencement ceremony the four, with the help of others, did a “dramatic statues” and chant performance. Afterward, the third, fourth and fifth graders all participated in a song called “Flip Flop,” written and produced by TIS music teacher Diana Donlon. Read the Full Story

FWC releases findings in Bull Bay accident Friday, 24 May 2013 10:17 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has completed its report on the two-boat accident in Bull Bay on April 12, and the FWC is holding both Jesse Smith and Capt. Steve Ahlers at fault. Smith, of Port Charlotte, was travelling southwest in a gray 18’ open motorboat. He turned to the south to enter a blind, narrow passage between two mangrove islands when he spotted Ahlers’ yellow boat heading in the opposite direction. Ahlers, of Boca Grande, was traveling northwest towards the same passage, with three passengers on board his 20-foot yellow boat. Read the Full Story

Art festival details for this weekend’s tarpon festival weekend Friday, 24 May 2013 10:14 The Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival has an exciting slate of 60 amazing artists in a wide variety of mediums. Organizer Carroll Swayze is excited and filled with anticipation for the event. “(We) have some amazing work this year,” she said. “The festival is near and dear to my heart because Boca Grande is home to me. The people on the island have supported me for my whole life and I am proud to be able to hand-pick a Fine Art Festival to present to the island. I have spent the past year trying to choose artists who fit the theme and the ideals of the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament of conservation, education and sportsmanship. I have world-class marine wildlife artists coming as well as some of the finest Florida landscape painters the state has to offer. I hope that everyone will come out, enjoy the festival and meet the artists who work so hard to create their beautiful original artwork.” Read the Full Story

Grant says ‘good-bye’, Kaplans say hello to island Friday, 24 May 2013 10:12 BY LIZA STROUT - Serendipity brought Grant Quirk to Gill’s Grocery, and a decade later it led his successors, the Kaplans, to the store.
Ten years ago, Grant Quirk was discussing the end of his clamming business with a friend. The one-two punch of red tide and “rolling moss” had ruined his clam beds, and he was looking for something new to do. Read the Full Story

Boca Grande, Sweet Pea highlighted in June Vogue magazine shoot Friday, 24 May 2013 10:09 Boca Grande has been the location for an awful lot of photo shoots, so many we usually don’t report on them. But, a couple of months ago a very high-profile fashion magazine – Vogue, to be exact – turned up in town with an interesting model. Her name is Dree Hemingway, and she is the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. Read the Full Story

FWC break-away jig study refuted by originating scientist Friday, 17 May 2013 10:06 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - In the summer of 2004 Dr. Justin Grubich picked up the phone to take a call from a woman who said she was with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The woman, Kathy Guindon, talked with Justin for about 30 minutes foul-hooking tarpon, and he was asked to provide expert witness testimony on how tarpon feed. He didn’t give the conversation much thought. Read the Full Story

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World's Richest day one complete, Spooked Again in the Lead
Day 1 of the 2013 "World's Richest" Tarpon Tournament in the books. So far, 33 tarpon caught and safely...
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Rich and Toni Caccavale

03 May 2013 Last Updated on 03 May 2013 Liza

Some people just have Boca Grande in their blood. Their very names are synonymous with our island. So it is with Rich and Toni Caccavale.

As fate would have it, the two have had some major life changes lately that have taken them closer to the mainland than the island. Rich has recently retired from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, where he was the marine patrol deputy in Boca Grande waters. He was also a Lee County deputy on the island for 24 years.

Toni recently closed her Boca Grande business, Island Nails.

But don’t think they’re sitting back and relaxing ... not by any stretch of the imagination.

( 1 Vote )

Margaret Elizabeth Corrigan

03 May 2013 Last Updated on 03 May 2013 Liza

Margaret Elizabeth (Betty) Corrigan (McMahon) passed away peacefully on April 26, 2013 in Venice.

( 0 Votes )

Is returning to fixed J-hooks the answer?

03 May 2013 Last Updated on 03 May 2013 Liza

To the Editor,

I am about to open a can of worms. Image a fisherman doing that.

I have been following online the controversy regarding tarpon fishing in Boca Grande and the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series.

Since I have often been referred to as the guy “who ruined the fishing in Boca Grande,” and then running off to Costa Rica, I feel I am qualified to weigh in on this matter. Wade Stephenson and I introduced the 12 Fathom Jig to Boca Grande back in 1986. Ownership of the company has changed hands several times as well as the design of the jig.

( 1 Vote )

Reader says Inn has too much ‘economic clout’

03 May 2013 Last Updated on 03 May 2013 Liza

To the Editor:

I believe that all residents here in Boca Grande are much aware of the significance of the INN, an enormous economic engine. I would like to point out that they have minimal frontage on Gilchrist Ave. when compared with the individual residents and so it seems to me that the residents should have a greater impact on the parking issues.

I was surprised to read in your paper last week that the INN was proposing a solution, endorsed by not for profit organizations. Why does the INN gain such a strong voice on this issue? If the INN needs more parking they have a large open lot on the corner of Gasparilla Road and Fifth St; this could easily be converted into a major parking lot and could be walled in and landscaped. Additionally the INN still has other undeveloped land yet to be used.

The parking issue is one that should be resolved by the residents of Gilchrist who continually face the ugly appearance of the parking on the median. Many should recall the awful and dangerous parking issue of the median on Fifth St. which was resolved by the county installing a serious curb around it and thus not allowing any parking!

If we must have parking on the median, let us move ahead with the residents’ plan.

John Mendez,

Boca Grande

( 3 Votes )

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The News - Letter to Editor

Some changes to historic tour story

03 May 2013 Last Updated on 03 May 2013 Liza

To the Editor:

Thank you very much for printing the article last week to inform everyone about the Boca Grande Historical District Audio Tour that is now available at Bike ’n Beach.

But, yikes! The report got a number of things wrong. I’m afraid the many people who know and love the history of Boca Grande will think the tour is a compilation of misinformation. That could not be further from the truth. I would like to set the record straight.