Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Committee Chair Bayne Stevenson of the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association unveiled a large reproduction illustrating the envisioned GICIA Preserve at a public meeting held on Wednesday, April 13 at the property, located at Gasparilla Road and the Boca Grande Causeway. He thanked the crowd for the support […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News.
Letter to the Editor; Like the tides on the beaches of Boca Grande, seasonal vehicles come and go with both predictability and occasional extraordinary highs. Each new seasonal tide provides us with good customers and a continually refreshed community. The statistics these last six months* confirm that Boca Grande has experienced new record highs, like […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE & JIM BENSON Jim Benson may be a young man, but his passion for life and his work ethic run deep. That’s not to say he’s a guy who can’t have a good time – he definitely can – but he has proven to be one of the most up-and-coming real […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN At an educational summit held on Tuesday, April 5 at the Boca Grande Community Center, some of the nation’s top educators gathered with islanders to talk about new trends and successful techniques in educating our primary and secondary school-age children. The invitation-only event, orchestrated by Cavendish Global, packed the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ SUBMITTED BY THE GICIA The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association has an insert in this week’s Beacon to acknowledge and thank the many, many donors who have supported our bold initiative to purchase and protect the 30-acre Mercabo property, now known as the .” Our board and staff are tremendously grateful for your […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE Iguana hunting taxes are going up by 0.102 percent, but iguana numbers are definitely going down. At an annual meeting of the MTSBU advisory committee for Gasparilla Island’s street lighting and iguana control Friday, April 1, Lee County MSTBU Coordinator Melissa Geissler told the Board they had to raise […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
At their Annual Meeting held on Monday April 4, The Boca Grande Woman’s Club announced that the grand total of their 2016 community grants and scholarships is $649,600. The membership approved community grants totaling $260,600 for 20 local nonprofit organizations, which included assistance in funding the restoration of the 1927 Range Light, support for professional […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUSAN ERWIN Boca Grande part-time resident Garry Carley is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and while he enjoys the peaceful island life here, he also has a sincere passion for the revitalization of his hometown. He currently serves as Chairman of Detroit Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. Carley met his wife, Nancy, while […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Sydell Friedman was a Boca Grande phenomenon. She and her husband, Stanley, were well known throughout the island and highly regarded in intellectual, social and tennis circles (and in just about every endeavor in which they participated) for more than 30 years. They were loving parents, grandparents and pet owners, as well as being energetic […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News.
Letter to the Editor; Most people know by now about the BG Haiti project that has been taking place for the last seven years. In that time period, this generous community has donated $1,650,000 to build five villages consisting of 200 homes plus schools and community centers/ churches, and to provide fresh water, outdoor lighting, […]