Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO High tea was served at The Island School by volunteers Donna Lutton, Margo Freeman and Susan Bowers, with some help from kindergarten teacher/party planner Megan O’Conner. TEN YEARS AGO An internet feud was taking place between the live-baiters and the jiggers, as a gutted tarpon was found in Boca Grande Pass and […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
Illegal dumping is a very real problem everywhere right now, even on Gasparilla Island, and our local law enforcement officers have been actively and aggressively pursuing those who try to get away with it. According to Capt. Jeff Corkhill, in the last few weeks they have been actively patrolling and looking for people who are […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial.
What started out as the slow process of returning to “normal” (were we ever normal?) after Hurricane Ian, has been speeding up over the last few weeks. When they started the construction and demolition debris pickups this past weekend, you could really start to see a difference. Most of the shops are open. The restaurants […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
If you have been coming to Gasparilla Island for a few years or more and you love golf, perhaps this name will ring a bell with you: Leon Oliver. Oliver is a Gasparilla Inn & Club course record-holder (63, five times) who moved to Maine. Oliver has served as the owner/superintendent of Sheepscot Links Golf […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
The Hermitage Artist Retreat today announced the first several programs for the new calendar year. These events will be presented on the Hermitage’s historic beachfront campus on Manasota Key and throughout Sarasota County. Newly announced January programs include featured artists and performers sharing their work, including author of “Breath Better Spent: Living Black Girlhood” […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
And yes, that includes the ‘Lake in the Road’ The Friday, Nov. 18 Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority quarterly meeting was abuzz with talk of the hurricane, and how so much has been learned since that day in September. To begin, the GIBA Board voted to implement a Temporary Hurricane Relief Emergency Overweight Policy. “This policy […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns, Community History.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO Peter and Elsa Soderberg donated $1 million to the new Suncoast Humane Society building project, and the Barrier Island Parks Society announced a new three-year plan including restoration efforts and public informational events. TEN YEARS AGO J.T.’s chili and Roger’s team were the winners at the Whidden’s Back Bay […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News.
Over the past week red tide was present in very low to high concentrations in and offshore of Sarasota County, background to high concentrations in and offshore of Charlotte County, very low to high concentrations in Lee County, and background to medium concentrations in Collier County. For additional information, go to myfwc.com/red tide/
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Following Hurricane Ian’s landfall, vessel owners were given a 45-day grace period to bring derelict vessels into compliance or remove them from state waters. The grace period ended November 15. The number of impacted vessels is significant, and many residents are still assessing damages. Taking these factors into consideration, the Florida Fish […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
What do you do with more than 20,000 cubic yards of landscape debris? Other than to make a very large salad for a beaver, press your own three-story rolls of paper or have a bonfire that could be seen from space … not much, except to grind it up for mulch. The mountains of debris […]