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Educational summit features educational celebrities

■ 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 […]

GICIA begins to unveil plans for The Preserve

■ 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 […]

Iguana millage to increase, bidding process to begin soon

■ 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 […]

Island Art Days to feature 17 artists this weekend

■ STAFF REPORT Island Art Days will be back for its 11th year on Saturday and Sunday, April 2 and 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot next to 431 Park Avenue, home of Gasparilla Outfitters/Special Effects and the Boca Beacon. Featured artists will include Bob and Ruth Wessell, pottery; Carroll […]

The Health Clinic balls will be dropping on April 7, tee off on April 8

■ STAFF REPORT Staff at the Boca Grande Health Clinic is tight-lipped about what some of the amazing auction items are for the annual Hank Wright Åuction, which will be held on Thursday, April 7. The only they would say is that there are, in fact, some “presidential” items on the block. The Clinic’s annual […]

Help keep the light shining on Boca Grande

■ BY SUE ERWIN The lease is here. Gasparilla Island Light Committee Jim Grant announced that Barrier Island Parks Society has received a lease dated as of April 1 to restore the Gasparilla Island Range Light. “This will enable BIPS to get the key and start fixing it up,” he said. Grant gave a presentation […]

A designer of rare and unique treasure

■ BY SUSAN ERWIN Meredith Haws Bolasco spends many of her days creating beautiful, exotic pieces of wearable art. Her jewelry designs often include rare treasures found in an exotic locale, such as ancient Greek and Roman coins, Byzantine bronze crosses and French medallions. She will be the featured artist at Island Art Days this […]

We waste … and yet we want

■  BY MARCY SHORTUSE I’m I’m wrapping up my second season as the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce president, and let me tell you something, it isn’t an easy volunteer position to have … unless ceaseless flagellation is your thing, and then you’d love it. So let’s talk about bathrooms, because … why not? My […]

Island Art Days back for its 11th year on April 2 and 3

■ BY JULIE SALVETTI      Another year, another amazing art event for Boca Grande! Island Art Days is a lovely little art show on our beautiful little island. This is the 11th year for this happening, and we are pleased to have such a diverse group of accomplished artists joining us this year.