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Profile: John Gibson

■ BY SUE ERWIN Boca Bay resident John Gibson started coming to the island in the 1980s, when the fish camp owned by CSX Railroad brought executives and locals together to catch their dinner. John’s family roots run deep in Southwest Florida. His mom’s side of the family came to the Tampa area from Michigan […]

May 13: Mother’s Day freebie at Mote Aquarium

To the Editor: This Mother’s Day, treat your mom to a fun-filled day at Mote Aquarium. Come SEA all the animals, learn about the oceans they call home, and make memories that will last a lifetime. All moms get free admission to Mote Aquarium with the purchase of their accompanied child’s ticket on Mother’s Day, […]

How Jane Carlson fell in love

To the Editor: My heart nearly broke upon reading Phil Snyder’ s (executive director of Suncoast Humane Society) article titled, “What about me?” in the Beacon on March 23. Yes, what about them, these furry little creatures that cannot plead for themselves? That’s what I’m doing now, by telling of my own personal experience. Two […]

Fishing families take the stage, islanders in front of the camera and behind in ‘Mullet and Mangroves’

BY MARCY SHORTUSE – On Thursday, May 3 a new documentary on barrier island life had its debut on local television stations, and it featured several familiar faces and places. But don’t worry – if you missed it, then you will get a chance to see it again. “Mullet and Mangroves: The Pioneer Fishing Families of […]

Obituary: Dean L. Beckstead

Laurier Donald Dean Beckstead, 74, passed away peacefully at his Palm Island home in the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 25, 2018, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on July 18, 1943 and raised in Emerson, Manitoba, Canada. His family was part of the Beckstead family that pioneered the Canadian movement west, […]

A pioneering Florida family: The Albrittons

BY TIMMY SPAIN The man in this photo was a true Florida Cracker. Aaron Robert Albritton was his name, but everybody called him Twister. I guess he couldn’t afford a horse, so he trained that steer to haul him around the woods. Those woods are in Hardee, Manatee and Desoto counties. He was born in […]