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Croquet is the game of the day during a hot Boca Grande summer

July 16, 2021
BY T MICHELE WALKER – Croquet is believed to have been first played by thirteenth-century French peasants who fashioned ad hoc mallets to whack wooden balls through hoops made of willow bra…

From the archives: A history of Boca Grande churches

July 16, 2021
In a 1984 Boca Beacon, the late Carey Johnson covered the origin of two of the oldest Island churches and the early families who supported their creation. Carey Johnson was the father of Robert Joh…

Lemon Bay High School hosts ‘Seussical Jr.’ summer camp for local youth

July 9, 2021
BY T MICHELE WALKER – After a summer of being closed due to COVID restrictions, musical theater summer camp is back on stage at The Lemon Bay High School Theater. From the looks of it, the children…

The memorial benches of Boca Grande

July 9, 2021
BY TONYA BRAMLAGE – You’ve probably seen them scattered along the bike path, in parks, or in other certain public areas. A simple-looking bench with a little plaque or engraving on it with words, q…

Summer camp with Larry the legless lizard, yoga and meditation, squid dissection and much more

July 9, 2021
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – School might be out for the summer, but the learning hasn’t stopped. At the Boca Grande Community Center’s traditional summer camp, which started one week after school let out, …

Elsa brought rain, but not much else

July 9, 2021
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Elsa couldn’t make up her mind what she wanted to be when she grew up, and went back and forth from a tropical storm to a hurricane, and back to a tropical storm in a matter of …

More letters sent back and forth in the ongoing National Historic Register controversy

July 6, 2021
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – While a meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 5 with the Florida National Register Review Board to rehash the National Register of Historic Places nomination of part of the is…

African dust in the wind brings beautiful ‘Grande’ sunsets to Gasparilla Island

July 6, 2021
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – If you haven’t noticed, it is officially summer in Southwest Florida. The humidity is back, the temperature rarely skates below the low 80s (high 70s if we’re lucky) at night, t…

What do you do when a shark follows you home? Another hammerhead experience in island waters

July 6, 2021
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – On Friday, June 18 Dianne Ryan and her daughter, Robin Ryan, decided to do things a bit differently when it came time to their regular paddleboard excursion. The pair were used …

The Island School announces appointment of new head-of-school

July 6, 2021
SUBMITTED BY THE ISLAND SCHOOL – The Island School Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Christine Oliver as Head of School, effective August 1, 2021. She will succeed Jean M….