Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: I would like to comment on the proposed Boca Grande Peninsula and Marina project to be built by Cookie Potter and Jay Feinberg at the historic Gasparilla Fishery site in Placida. As a direct descendant of Gus and Addie Cole, who came to the area in 1918 and helped to build and […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Beach-nesting birds have begun their breeding season along Florida’s coasts. Spring and summer mark critical times of year for these vulnerable species, as they must avoid human disturbance, storms and predators. Sea and shorebirds lay their eggs right on the sand. They perceive people and dogs as threats and will take flight whenever boaters, beachgoers […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
A ballerina and a hopeless romantic meet at an art exhibit by the famous French artist Rodin’s statue of “The Kiss.” Of course, they fall in love almost instantly. Things get in the way, but eventually they get together, marry and live happily ever after on a beautiful island. Hallmark writers could not have come […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
The coyote is here to stay in Florida. Indeed, we have had coyotes for quite some time. In fact, right now, if you live anywhere in Florida, you will share the landscape with coyotes, or Canis latrans. They are found across the state and have been documented in all 67 counties. They are common in […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
BY CAPT. JOE LACLAIR When spring comes the world is new again and the great outdoors speaks to us in so many ways. This spring has been full of rain and the nesting birds have are missing many of the trees that were used before the hurricane in the fall of 2022. Nature is incredibly […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, Police & Fire.
To the Editor: Thank you for the standby Emergency Operations Center announcement coverage in this week’s Beacon. The emphasis in bold you added in the highlights & system overview section should make it high impact. That is, with readers completely new to the AUXCOMM project. There will be more to publish as the EOC rapidly […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Boca Grande Historical Society recently learned of the death of John “Jackie” Sullivan. Jackie was one of the many people who contributed to several History Bytes sessions, telling stories of growing up in Boca Grande. Like many former residents who have moved away, Jackie never lost his love for the island, […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
In the English tradition, there is the common. Not common as an adjective, as in ordinary, but the “common” as a noun, as in the places that we all own together, as a public. Many here on Gasparilla Island and Little Gasparilla and in Cape Haze are from New England and are familiar with our […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Sports & Outdoors.
COURTESY LAMAR TOOLE, BOCA GRANDE GARDEN CLUB Flower farms are my passion. With this heartfelt sentence, floral designer and flower farm advocate Kelly Shore greeted members of the Boca Grande Garden Club on March 6 in the Boca Grande Community Center Auditorium. Kelly Shore’s entire life has gravitated toward the creative. In 2000, her […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Sports & Outdoors.
The beach sunflower, or Helianthus debilis, is in bloom on the corner of 5th Street and Gilchrist Avenue. This Florida-native perennial is a butterfly-attracting flower, and like other types of sunflowers, it follows the sun throughout the day, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. These plants are fairly well-known […]