It was announced at the Lemon Bay Conservancy “Toast to the Coast” event on Wednesday, Feb. 29 that 9.77 acres of Thornton Key has been donated to the group by local developers Gar and Dean Beckstead.

The announcement was a huge coup for the local environmental group.

John Storms will present a natural history of reptiles and their fascinating and exciting world. Learn how snakes survive without the use of legs, ears, and eyelids. See giant pythons, crocodilians, and other exotic reptiles from around the world. Marvel at poisonous and non-poisonous snakes from around the world.

The program is sponsored by the Boca Grande Woman’s Club and will be held on Tuesday, March 13 at 1 p.m. in the Community Center auditorium. It is free to the public.

James “Jim” Ernest Fuller passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012 in Florida.

Born in Detroit on October 17, 1939, Jim attended the University of Michigan. He lived for many years in Detroit, then moved to Grand Rapids, where he and his wife raised their family.

Suzanne and Jim moved to Boca Grande in 1994, and last December he and Suzanne celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary amidst family and friends there. Jim was genuinely fulfilled by connecting with people for whom he cared, and there were many. He loved catching up with friends, whether over a cocktail or his various lunch dates, regardless of how much time may have passed since their last meeting.

If there was ever a lover of the written word, it is Dr. Frank Downing. The former English teacher, football coach, and academic athletic advisor has spent the last three winters on Gasparilla Island teaching the children at The Island School to love poetry, to understand Shakespeare, and to communicate through writing.

One of his primary objectives is to teach and encourage children to write from an early age.

“Most kids have a huge listening vocabulary,” he said. “Next is speaking, and then reading. By the time you get to their writing vocabulary, it’s next to nothing.”