Without the traditional “Stations of the Cross” or egg hunts to herald the coming of Easter,
this was a very non-traditional year. The online presence of parishioners during Holy Week
was quite startling ... it seemed as though almost everyone was getting more involved with the
technology it takes to maintain spiritual ties during a quarantine.
There was even a Palm Sunday golf cart parade. Adorned with palm fronds, the line of carts
wove through the downtown area to celebrate one of the holiest of holidays ... all while social
distancing.
v Feeding the two-legged (and four-legged) masses
While a majority of our shops could do nothing but close and wait for the viral storm to pass,
most Gasparilla Island restaurants provided takeout service. Some, like The Temptation and
The Loose Caboose, posted their daily lunch and dinner specials on Facebook for their loyal
customers to peruse. At some restaurants it
was as simple as making a phone call, driving
to the front of the restaurant and waiting for
your food to come out, hot and fresh.
The Temptation and the Loose Caboose also
offered a grocery pick-up. You could call and
tell the what you needed (The Temp had their
grocery menu on Facebook as well), and they
could order it for you.
Hudson’s Grocery had to eventually shut
down all foot traffi c inside their Park Avenue
location, but provided curbside pickup as well.
Even with shorter hours, their employees were
running hither and yon inside the store to fi ll
orders for their faithful patrons.
Hudson’s owners Howard and Emily Wise
and their crew also fi lled more than a few orders of groceries for people in the community who
experienced income loss, going far above and beyond for their friends and neighbors as they
always do. The entire staff at the grocery store proved, once again, that they are the epitome of
kindness and generosity, particularly when those qualities are needed most.
Jane Moyer at Island Dog Boutique & Supply Co. continued to feed our furry friends as well.
She came into the store many days during the quarantine to call and check on her loyal
customers and their animals, and provided pet food cubside pickup and deliveries to the
homes of customers if they were in need.
v Thinking outside the buff
Ashley Scarpa, co-owner of Scarpa’s Coastal and owner of
Grande Stitches, took her sewing skills up a notch and entered
the world of mask-making. She originally made just a few for her
employees, but soon the movement gained traction and
suddenly everyone wanted a handmade mask. Ashley taught
some of her employees how to make them as well, and the
dining room at the restaurant turned into a sewing circle. The
Scarpa’s crew sewed more than 300 masks in their fi rst few
weeks.
Blanche Vedette at the Loose Caboose was also making masks
while taking orders over the phone for curbside food pickup and
conducting animal rescues. Gasparilla Island resident
Brittney Love also got her sewing machine out and spent the
July/August • 2020 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE 31
Masks made by Brittney Love.