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Patient satisfaction at the heart of Experience Appreciation Week

May 4, 2021
BY MARK DRISCOLL, CEO OF THE BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC – This week is Patient Experience Week (April 26-30) and we wanted to spend a few minutes discussing why this is important and how it helps al…

Iguana panel meets, discusses ongoing lizard eradication methodology

May 4, 2021
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – The Gasparilla Island Municipal Service Benefit Unit, a.k.a. the “iguana panel,” held their regularly scheduled advisory meeting on Friday, April 23, and discussion featured a c…

The time of the turtles is upon us! May 1 marks start of nesting season

May 4, 2021
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – While no sea turtle nests have been found yet this season on Gasparilla Island, May 1 heralds the beginning of this very special time. Most residents who live on the island year…

Boca Bargains to remain open through May this year

May 4, 2021
STAFF REPORT – If you haven’t had a chance yet this season to stop by and shop at Boca Bargains, you can draw a sigh of relief. The ladies of the Boca Grande Woman’s Club have announced they will k…

In the face of new proposed dredging deregulation that could mean 50 percent more sea turtle deaths, it seems strange that ‘relocation’ is no longer an option

May 4, 2021
BY TONYA BRAMLAGE AND MARCY SHORTUSE – It’s common to hear the phrase “There is no use in dredging things up,” but when it comes to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – the people charged with keepin…

Greatest kids fishing tournament on earth to be held in Boca Grande Pass on June 5: Kids helping kids is what it’s all about

May 4, 2021
STAFF REPORT – After taking 2020 off because of COVID-19, the Gasparilla Island Kids Classic Tarpon Tournament will return on Saturday, June 5, and will be held in Boca Grande Pass from 3 to 6 p.m….

Foster takes first in Basin Sailing Yacht Club World Championship

May 4, 2021
STAFF REPORT – The Basin Sailing Yacht Club held its annual “World Championships” on Sunday, April 25 at the Boca Bay Powerhouse lagoon, with local legend John Foster taking the lead amongst many p…

A history of the du Pont family in Boca Grande

May 4, 2021
BY KAREN GRACE AND THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER – The beginning of the du Pont family in Boca Grande came in 1916 or 1917 when Louise (du Pont) and Frank Crowninshield rented Frank’s brother’s (B…

OBITUARY: Michael Calahan

May 4, 2021
Michael (“Mike”) A. Calahan, formerly of Boca Grande, died unexpectedly at his home in Fort Lauderdale on April 17, 2021. Mike and his wife, Midge, built a home in Boca Bay in the mid-1990s and res…

PROFILE: Cathy Ballman

May 4, 2021
BY T MICHELE WALKER – Zoom meetings are as ubiquitous as love bugs in spring. After months of coffee interviews and visits to lovely homes and marinas, the Boca Beacon finally had our first profile…