"Boca Grande's community newspaper" - The Boca Banner: Building a Better Community Together

The income tax has made liars out of more Americans than golf. - Will Rogers

The Internet Edition- Vol. 2 Issue 9 March 10, 2006

A Dussenberg in Le Mans Race coachwork shows its engineering excellence. Safety wires keep every nut in place. Historic Gasparilla Inn and venerable automobiles make a nice combination.

A Dussie, A Bentley and a Model A line up in front of Gasparilla Inn's cottages in a picture taking us back to the 1930s.

Index...
Bikes................................pg 3

Talk..................................pg 5 (Printed Edition)

Ron Hart..........................pg 6

Publisher's Corner..........pg 7

Remembering Sherry Watt.................................pg 8

Gotta dance!...................pg 9

Twenty-Five Years......pg 12

Bus Stop........................pg 13 (Printed Edition)

Fest................................pg 14

Golf tourney..................pg 17

Reading fest..................pg 18

Shortcake......................pg 19

Cars................................pg 20

Boca Banner Website

The Boca Banner is on the internet. There are new links to weather and tide charts. Current news and photos. Links to Boca Grande's Real Estate leaders. Keep watching the site grow.

Its www.thebocabanner.com . The redesigned site is maintained by JD Web Design. of Port Charlotte Florida

Gulf Coast Preservation society
To preserve and protect the Gulf of Mexico by disseminating information and providing vital research necessary to finding solutions to environmental issues in order to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico.

Local Links

The Worlds Richest Tarpon Tournament

Gasparilla Island (Port Boca Grande) Lighthouse

Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association

Gasparilla Island State Park

The Boca Grande
Historical Society

Boca Grande Area
Chamber of Commerce

Local Official Resource

Wheels from Yesteryear Roll Into Boca Grande
By Jim Tucker

Nineteen vintage cars visited Boca Grande on the private 2006 Millennium Tour organized by Maggie Newman of Tampa. Since 2000 Maggie has been inviting her car friends to join her on annual excursions to try and see a little of "old Florida" while benefiting worthwhile causes. This year's tour, Maggie said, is dedicated to Hospice of Florida.

Drivers brought cars here from at least nine states from California to New Hampshire and even local entries. Buck Kamphausen brought a 1934 Dussenberg with a "very handy" toolbox strapped to the back and a 1929 Buick along with a road crew of five.

This year's week long trek started at the Gasparilla Inn and headed for

Amelia Island's 7th Annual
Concours d'Elegance and auto auction. Participants kindly
discussed their motorized treasures with a constantly changing crowd of curious, enthralled bystanders. Golf carts circled the block in a Boca Grande version of "cruising the strip."

Continued On Page 4

Community Planning Panel Goes Forward With Traffic Study

Seeks Applicants for Historic Preservation Board
By Linda Fudala-Tucker

With only a few weeks of "high season" remaining, the Boca Grande Community Planning Panel decided Monday to line up a downtown traffic study with several objectives in mind for the island's "six-week problem."

The study would involve professional analysis of traffic flow and congestion and parking; issues of pedestrian safety and golf cart usage and parking; and t he problem

of delivery trucks. Other objectives of the study would involve looking into opportunities for additional or satellite parking; and even long-range planning for increased off-island population growth and impact on traffic/parking.

The estimated cost for the study is around $30,000, according to the estimated implementation budget. Currently, the Panel has a balance of about $12,500 reported Lynne