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

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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...
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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.

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Winner announced for ‘name the pirate girl painting’ contest

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

"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.

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Two local artists win prizes for their work

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Earlier this month Boca Grande artist Susan Shaffer’s framed paper sculpture, “Synchronicity,” was awarded first place at ArtCenter Manatee’s juried exhibition entitled “Retrospective Color.” The exhibit includes 80 regional artists in multiple mediums. Susan is a founding member of the Boca Grande Art Alliance and year-round island resident. She will be exhibiting in the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend Show and Summer Days Exhibition at the BGAA Art Center.

The “Retrospective Color” exhibit will run through June 1.

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Birth announcement: Tucker Michael Cera

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

Tucker Michael Cera, we welcome you ...

On May 1, 2012 at 5:52 a.m.Tucker Michael Cera was born at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He is the son of George and Cindy Cera of Boca Grande. He weighed in at 9 pounds, 1 ounce at birth and was 21 inches long. Welcoming him home are siblings Jesse Jon Michael, 21, Marlana Lynn Messina, 22, and Gabriela Rose Crespo, 8. Harry and Fayma Childs are Tucker’s maternal grandparents, and Beverly Cera is his paternal grandmother.

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The News - Featured News

Guest editorial: We made a promise, we need to keep it

11 May 2012 Marcy Shortuse

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.