Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
A new update from the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority shows that vehicle traffic on the Boca Grande Causeway can expect delays at various times during the next few months. Kathy Banson-Verrico, GIBA’s executive director, said the delays will be to accommodate material deliveries and construction activities. Kathy said the new tender house roof, windows, air […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News, Profiles.
BY JACK SHORT Gene Glidden is soft-spoken, ruddy-cheeked man whose cheerful demeanor belies the ruthlessness of the man who sits atop a commercial and residential painting empire. Just kidding. But he is absolutely cheerful, if a little quiet, and he built a business out of nothing that now reaches into several counties. In 40 years, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Opinion.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE So this week we had a lesson in social media. The tale of Sam Samsonov, “our Sam,” as we call him, went viral worldwide. The story of a man who collected tolls for the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority for almost 30 years was picked up and made it into the worldwide media […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
On Saturday, July 11 at approximately 8 p.m., the Boca Grande Fire Department responded to a report of a boat that had run into the mangroves on Boca Grande Bayou.When firefighters arrived, by water and by land, they found a boat with three people onboard set far back into the mangroves. They reported they were […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Profiles.
BY JACK SHORT She’s Chrissy to most, but only if you knew her after she moved here. Or before she became a professional. It’s a little confusing. She had switched to Christine in order to be taken more seriously, but Boca Grande apparently has a surfeit of Christine’s (or Christina’s), so it was back to […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Editorial.
Many of you are aware that Sam Samsonov, a toll tender with the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority for 30 years, is no longer at the booth. There has been a flood of responses on social media regarding his leaving, and we wanted to acknowledge him. Sam, you were a Gasparilla Island fixture. Many people saw […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Obituaries.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE We lost another one of our island mothers on Sunday, July 5, as Louise Bowe slipped away from congestive heart failure. Other than for a few years her entire life was spent on the island, and while she was a quiet, understated woman her impact on Gasparilla Island was profound. Mary Louise […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE AND JACK SHORT We’ve been famous before for having one of the most expensive zip codes, and for having some of the best beaches. We’ve got celebrity status for many reasons here on Gasparilla Island, and now we’ve got a new reason to be chatted up on the Today Show and in […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY MIKE VASHER When was the last time you had the opportunity to be invited onboard a fishing vessel to get to meet and speak with one of the world’s most well-known artists, scientists, explorers, and conservationists, Dr. Guy Harvey? With a little perseverance, Capt. Sandy Melvin, owner of Gasparilla Outfitters and a director of […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY JACK SHORT A proposed minimum-wake zone expansion that began as an effort by a small group of homeowners has passed its first major hurdle. The Charlotte County Marine Advisory Committee heard presentations over the last two months from the public representing homeowners in Boca Grande North and in houses along Gulf Shores Drive, as […]