Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Featured News, News.
Above, Simmel presenting the plans for the spa project. Photo by Garland The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board approved two projects at its January meeting, including a 15,000 square foot addition to The Gasparilla Inn’s spa. Attending were Paul Eddy, Peggy Stanley, Barbara Wickwire, Jerry Edgerton, Dennis Maloomian and Chairman Bill Caldwell. The first project […]
Written by Angela McPhillips on . Posted in Profiles.
Mahjong tiles, jumping with tarpon For Sarah Sheridan, Boca Grande has never been just a vacation destination. It has always felt like a second home, a place layered with childhood memories, family traditions and the kind of connection that stretches across generations. “I have so many childhood memories here,” Sheridan said. “It helped me be […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, Community, News.
Above, Scozzafava awards Laffaire with a diving coin. Photo by Matt In July 2024, Marie-Laure Laffaire was visiting Gasparilla Island from Paris, France. For years, she and her three children always went to 13th Street to swim ever since her grandfather, a great sailor, lived near Boca Grande. That summer, she was snorkeling when she […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Obituaries.
Above, Browne, in a profile in 2004, and below, in a story in 2009 while on the Preservation Board, as he railed against ugly island signage at the beach streets at a meeting. A funeral will be held in Charlottesville this weekend for Hank Browne, a noted American architect who served Boca Grande on its […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Robert Marini of Boca Grande, Florida and South Weymouth, Massachusetts passed away on January 1, 2026 in Englewood, Florida. He was born September 29, 1931 in Quincy, Massachusetts to Millie (Cirillo) and Larry Marini. He was the youngest of three sons, including the late Daniel J and Francis L Marini. Married 38 years to his […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, Opinion.
Above, a 1980s photo of what is believed to be the bridge in New York. Readers can help us by remembering where it might have been placed, and if it is still there. Boca Beacon archives BY JAMES M.S. JOHNSON, ENGLEWOOD Reference was made in the January 9th edition of the Boca Beacon regarding the removal […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Editorial.
The dolphins were out and the mullet were jumping this weekend on the north end of the island. It was about as perfect weather as we could hope for in January before the cold front rolls in this weekend. This time of year, we can see a bit of a lull in visitors – the […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News.
Once again, the Boca Grande Art Center partners with Crews Bank & Trust to present rotating local artists’ exhibits at its Park Avenue branch. January features mixed-media works by Susan Shaffer, a Boca Grande Art Center founding member and 45-year island resident. Stop by and enjoy this pop-up showcase of the island’s creative talent. Photo […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Sports & Outdoors.
“No,” he said, “that is more than a horse can understand, but the enemy must have been awfully wicked people, if it was right to go all that way over the sea on purpose to kill them.” Anna Sewell (1820–1878) Author of “Black Beauty,” a novel that sold 50 million copies and raised animal welfare […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The annual all-island tournament will be held at the Boca Bay Pass Club, The Gasparilla Inn Tennis Club and the Boca Grande Club. The matches will begin on Saturday, Jan. 17 and will end on Saturday, Feb. 7. Everyone is welcome to enter; it is open to all area residents, members and guests of all […]