Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS) is throwing a party on Saturday, Feb. 9 to officially relight the historic Boca Grande Rear Entrance Range Light, now officially designated as Gasparilla Island Light. The public is invited to the event, which starts at 4 p.m. with escorted lighthouse climbs (first-come, first- served). Entertainment will […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT An Englewood man was arrested this week on island after an altercation on the street led to multiple charges. Gregorio Garcia Jr., 28, of Englewood was charged with burglary to an unoccupied conveyance, second-degree larceny, battery and resisting an officer after fighting with another man at the intersection of Gasparilla Street and Gulf […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT If you enjoy learning about local history, you won’t want to miss the first Bytes session of the season on Wednesday, February 6, at 11 a.m. at the Johann Fust Community Library. Frank Newlin will share stories of his grandparents, E. Mortimer and Elizabeth Battles Newlin, who first arrived on a visit to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ SUBMITTED BY THE GARDEN CLUB The irrepressible J Schwanke lands in Boca Grande February 6 for two days of flower festivities. Mr. Schwanke, who may be the hardest-working designer in the floral biz, will speak about “Creating a Life in Bloom” on Wednesday at 2 pm at the Boca Grande Community Center. The next […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
John “Jack” Byers Horner of Boca Grande and Richmond, Virginia passed away peacefully and surrounded by his family on January 17, 2019. Jack was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on December 18, 1937. He was the son of Dave and Kitty Horner of Lynchburg. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 58 years, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Zestful and energetic, Joan Ardrey once took an aptitude test that suggested she would make a good reporter, but she didn’t like the idea of being in the face of people who were dealing with high-pressure situations. So when she graduated from high school in Stamford, Connecticut and moved to Massachusetts […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, News, Opinion.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE As another season on the island begins, another controversy has been brought to light. No, it’s not Gilchrist (yet). It’s not parking (yet). It’s the breakdown in communication we seem to be having with our post office. This is a touchy situation, as the post office – like the dog park […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: I have several comments pertaining to the publication of a letter from the pseudonymous person(s) “Concerned citizenry of Boca Grande” that was published in the January 25, 2019 edition. First, the Beacon should have a policy that no letters should be published anonymously or under pseudonyms. The reason for this is obvious: […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: I was stunned to read the attack on Melisa Bicker by the “concerned citizenry of Boca Grande” under the bold-faced headline “It is time for the postmistress to go,” and I was disappointed that the Beacon would publish an anonymous ad hominem attack of this kind. Whatever made the “concerned citizenry” think […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The new GIBA cards are currently in the testing phase.