Opinion
Remembering Capt. John ‘Tater’ Spinks as a mentor and friend
March 19, 2026
I’ve been blessed to share time with many amazing people in my life. Several of them are legends in our fishing world. They took time from their lives to help me navigate life and mentored me on thi…
Let us all live in a park-land together
March 19, 2026
Just last week, Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection released plans for all of the region’s state parks, in advance of a series of public meetings and beginning a long public comment per…
The Island Golfer: The clubs keeping caddie culture alive
March 19, 2026
There is something uniquely satisfying about the ritual of it. You arrive at the first tee, the bag is already waiting, a caddie standing quietly alongside it. Before a word is spoken about yardages…
EcoWatch: Ripley’s Believe It or Not! – Raise Concerns of the Day
March 19, 2026
The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.
Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948. Indian lawyer, anticolonial nationalist, and leader of the independence movement…
Van Hubbard: It’s springtime, back country lighting up bright as the sun
March 12, 2026
We endured a cold winter this year, but it’s warming up very fast. The white pelicans have headed north; water temps are already into the 70s inside. The Gulf is right at 70 degrees. The southeast w…
Let’s hang some pictures together, shall we?
March 12, 2026
Some extremely good news came the way of this part of the world on Monday, when Ringling College of Art and Design and the Hermitage Artist Retreat announced that the Hermitage would take over the s…
Letters: History Bytes finishes 25th season with more living records of history
March 12, 2026
To the Editor:
A special thank you to everyone who attended our 25th season of “History Bytes.” Sally Van ltalie and Robert Johnson initially developed this program, and it continues to imp…
Letters: Strawberry Festival co-chairs express their appreciation
March 12, 2026
To the Editor:
When we agreed to co-chair the Strawberry Festival, we knew it would be a good experience. There are so many wonderful people involved. There is such a rich history of generous giv…
Letters: Fishing Guides clarify docks concerns and boat access
March 12, 2026
To the Editor:
There was a miscommunication between Boca Grande Fishing Guides Association President Chris Taylor and the Boca Beacon in last week’s article that needs to be addressed.
For cla…
EcoWatch: Pollinators in danger throughout the world
March 12, 2026
If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.
A quote oft…






