Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
BY T MICHELE WALKER – Most people spend their weekends relaxing away from work. Zach Rogalski, the new general manager of the Boca Grande Marina, spends his weekends touring Florida marinas with his wife and two young sons. “Most weekends we like to explore different marinas: We enjoy it,” he laughed. “We like to go […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Obituaries.
Claude “Allen” Sparks, 58, of Fort Ogden, FL. passed away on Friday, Jan. 29, 2020 in Port Charlotte, surrounded by his loved ones. Allen is survived by his wife, Missie Sparks; his children, Christopher and Christina Sparks, Kendra and Alejandro Villanueva, William and Casie Sparks, and James Doneburgh; his brother, Charles “Eddie” Sparks; his sisters, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Education.
BY MARGUERITE TREMELIN – Even in troubled times, there are causes for celebration. Five of them are right here at Boca Grande Preschool. Less than one year ago, on March 2, 2020, just before the country started shutting down, the Boca Grande Preschool launched an exuberant new fundraiser: The Beach Ball at The Gasparilla Inn […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
STAFF REPORT – Introducing the 3rd Annual (but first-ever virtual) Boca Grande Film Festival! This year’s festival will span five days with a diverse selection of riveting films and documentaries, viewable through the Friends of Boca Grande online film hub. To keep the festival vibe alive, Friends of Boca Grande Community center will be hosting […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Health & Wellness.
PROVIDED BY THE BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC – When it comes to affairs of the heart, you are never too old or too young to take steps that could change your own or a loved one’s life. Almost 15.4 million people in the U.S. have coronary heart disease. That’s not surprising since it is the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY SUSAN HANAFEE – Super Bowl Sunday will take on a new meaning at the Lighthouse United Methodist Church on Feb. 7 as local chefs and volunteers offer a delicious variety of soups for sale to benefit orphaned children. Soups are $5 for a 16-ounce carton, payable in advance or at the time of pick-up. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY SUSAN HANAFEE – A body. Clues. Even a red herring or two. All these elements of a mystery are what bring together participants in what is believed to be Boca Grande’s oldest book club – the Sleuths. The group, which meets monthly December through April, has been around for more than 25 years. Participants […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Note: Journalist and mystery writer Martin Walker’s annual appearance on the island – this one a virtual talk on global issues pertaining to Europe – courtesy of the Friends of Boca Grande will be rescheduled to Friday, February 12. If you have tickets to this livestream event, your current tickets will be valid for the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY CATHY BALLMAN – Authors Greg Campbell and Erick New have cut a unique path in the world of flowers and they are coming to Boca Grande to tell Garden Club members all about it. On Wednesday, Feb. 3, they will speak about this and how Garden District, the Memphis flower shop they own, builds […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY TONYA BRAMLAGE – Island postal contractor Tom Gardner is asking for assistance from our island community to help his daughter, Heather, in her fight with leukemia. Two years ago the Boca Beacon featured Heather’s story when she was first diagnosed with a form of leukemia, in the summer of 2017, when she was in […]