Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
Where have your “Hearts” gone?
They have landed on Ann Fletcher’s Christmas tree!
In December of 2022, a member of our RPP family, Priscilla Masselink, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. A trip for treatment at Dana Farber in Boston meant she missed seeing Ann Fletcher’s Xmas tree filled with ornaments that Priscilla enjoyed seeing during the holidays.
That is when the idea of a “Hearts full of love” tree was born.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
If there had been any concerns that the 2023 Strawberry Festival would suffer as a result of Hurricane Ian, they vanished quickly when members of the United Methodist Women’s board met recently to distribute $140,000 to local charities that serve women and children in need.
“It was a record year,” said Gloria Mitchell, who along with her daughter, Amy Mitchell, chaired this year’s Festival, held on March 4. “To say that we were surprised is an understatement. But we couldn’t be happier that we had this much money to distribute when there is so much need.”
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.
Flooding on the Gasparilla Island Causeway after Hurricane Ian was the main topic of discussion for the spring meeting of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA), held Thursday, April 22. The long duration of the flooding has had many people wondering why, and what can be done to prevent a recurrence.
There was agreement that the flooding was a highly unusual happening, with the volume of rain generated by the storm a major factor. Nevertheless, if reasonable steps can be taken to prevent a recurrence of the situation in future storms, the Board is determined to take those steps.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
On Friday, April 14, 2023, under the cover of dappled light and surrounded by latticed brick walls and lush greenery, an intimate crowd of current and former board members of the Johann Fust Library Foundation, its Literary Advisors, and the live poets of Boca Grande gathered just beyond the children’s library in a magical space that has been christened Alice’s Secret Garden. They were there to dedicate the space to Alice Gorman and to express gratitude for her support of the Johann Fust Library Foundation’s mission: “To preserve the buildings and gardens of the library while providing a literary and cultural center for the residents and visitors of Boca Grande.”
Alice was first elected to the Board of Directors in 2006, when the Johann Fust was a private library. Cotton Hanley was president, Rosemary Bowler was vice president, and Board members included Paul Csank, Tim Dumas, Sue Fuller, Sandy Hemm, Bill Morton, Sue Shaffer, Charles Tyler and Daly Walker.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
After college he worked in the social sciences. “I was working in a research center at the University of Pittsburgh, in the field of ‘learning psychology’ for 10 years,” he said. “The robotics institute at Carnegie Mellon University was founded while I was doing that. Pitt and Carnegie Mellon are adjacent to one another, and I knew a great many of those people. I went to the dean of the School of Engineering and said, ‘I don’t know anything about robotics, but I know about research centers, and I can help you.’ I got hired on the spot.”
It may be that being confident, and being able to look an opportunity in the eye and not blink may be other skill sets he has been bringing to the table throughout his career.
He noted that this was during the very earliest days of robotics. “It was the first time I’d heard the word,” he said. “And Carnegie Mellon is, to this day, the pre-eminent center of research and development in the field of robotics.” In the end, Todd spent 30 years in the field, helping to make it what it is today.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO The roster was filling up for Ladies Day, and the Boca Grande Historical Society elected Karen Grace to her second term as president. TEN YEARS AGO Capt. Charlie Coleman’s team took first place in the Whidden’s Back Bayu Tournament. Capt. Matt Coleman’s team took second. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO It was announced that […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor:
I would like to thank the Boca Beacon for writing an informative story about the iconic “Whispering Bench.” The story was loaded with details and information about this historical gem located on one of the properties along the very special Gilchrist Blvd.
I found the story compelling since as a family we first came to Boca Grande when I was about twelve years old. We rented at the Boca Grande Beach Club. Aside from the homes in “town” or the “village” and some homes north of Boca Grande, there were virtually no other condominiums or homes south of the Range Light.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor:
There are some things money cannot buy: decency, manners, integrity, values and a smile!
Neighbors, friends and a family’s respect, community respect and the Almighty’s respect!
Money cannot and does not entitle anyone to destroy history!
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages Aries: This is the week of self-realization, meaning you’ll realize how many chips you scarfed down during the Golden Girls marathon. Maybe the answer to what your pondering isn’t at the bottom of the chip back but in the words of the Ms. Petrillo herself – “To get back to my youth […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
Since Hurricane Ian, the Boca Grande Fire Department has been working hard to update and finesse certain policies and procedures to optimize response to such natural disasters. One of those policies is the hurricane hang tag policy, which is still being worked on at this time.
It is imperative that you get hang tags prior to a storm and, preferably, prior to the beginning of storm season. Tags will not be issued just prior to a storm, as department workers will be busy preparing and doing other things.
Make sure all hang tags under your name are accounted for and in the right hands … and that includes tags that you might have asked for right after the storm that you haven’t picked up yet.