Author: Garland Pollard

Appreciating our regular island journalists

January 16, 2025
Garland Pollard
Editorial

The Boca Beacon is a community enterprise. It is part of a great American tradition, the independent, family-owned community weekly newspaper. This week, we want to thank the local contributors...

Range Light now open to visitors; safe to climb after inspections by engineers

After hurricanes this fall, Barrier Island Parks Society has been working to prepare the Range Light and surrounding areas for visitors. Those repairs include the irrigation system, pavers and soil...

Business and Real Estate: New tarpon board promos guides

A new promotional board for the Boca Grande Fishing Guide Association is part of a wider effort to promote traditional fishing guides in Boca Grande. The association, which replaced the board just...

Weekend begins by Bayou, and ends with gumbo limbo

January 9, 2025
Garland Pollard
Editorial

A peaceful lone sculler plied the Bayou last Friday on the opening day for the Boca Grande Farmers Market. Families watched from the Bayou Bridge. It evoked a Thomas Eakins painting. In the 19th century...

Business and Real Estate: Mystic runs visit Boca Grande

January 2, 2025
Garland Pollard
News, Real Estate

A half dozen Mystic Powerboat catamarans were at Boca Grande Marina last weekend for a lunchtime owners run. “It’s been a great market for us,” said John Cosker, owner and founder of Mystic. Cosker...

Boca Grande’s Island Disaster Fund ends with over $3.5 million in donations

January 2, 2025
Garland Pollard
Community, News

The island Disaster Fund is now at $3,596,000 to aid island non-profits and businesses. “It keeps coming in,” said co-organizer Larry Hannah, who is one of a group of volunteers who are helping...

A welcome for the director of Mount Vernon

January 2, 2025
Garland Pollard
Editorial, Events

Next Wednesday, Doug Bradburn, director of Mount Vernon, will visit the island as part of a Friends of Boca Grande lecture in their History and Heritage series. Most people over a certain...

Scarpa’s is open, plus briefs from Ballyhoo this week of Dec. 27

December 27, 2024
Garland Pollard
Uncategorized

Some news from on island from Ballyhoo, always on page 5. Send your news of openings and events to info@bocabeacon. In restaurants, Scarpa’s Coastal is back. Pictured above, Todd Hampton and...

Fun with numbers for this new year, A.D. 2025

December 27, 2024
Garland Pollard
Editorial

It’s all in the numbers. Who doesn’t enjoy a date with a good number? Was your date a good number? That’s what we get next week with New Year’s Day, always a 1-1. Christmas Day was a good number,...

Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic opens Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025

December 26, 2024
Garland Pollard
Events

The Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic opens on Saturday, Jan. 18. The all-island tournament, sponsored by the Boca Beacon’s publisher, Dusty Hopkins, will be held at the Boca Bay Pass Club, The Gasparilla...