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Rare whale shark visit off Sarasota coast reveals this kindler, gentler shark is in local waters more often than one thinks

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.

Whale sharks just aren’t something you see every day, even in the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico in our area. But that doesn’t mean it never happens.

In fact, it happened to some boaters approximately 26 miles off the coast of Sarasota County not too long ago, on July 3. 

A video on TikTok surfaced with the encounter, taken by a charter captain named Michael Russo with the alias “Boca Grande Tarpon.” It was captioned “One of the coolest encounters I have ever had out of Sarasota. I think that sharks just follow me.”

The Baptists are back at home!

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.

Boca Grande’s Baptist community celebrated in grande style as the congregation returned to its own church building July 16 for services. The fellowship hall will be the venue for services for a while, as the sanctuary is still under renovation following Hurricane Ian. 

Pastor Gary Beatty said they are “so excited to be back” in their own place, but very grateful to the Episcopal congregation for allowing them to use their church for services throughout the last 10 months.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Effie Joiner

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community History, Health & Wellness, Profiles.

Author George Bernard Shaw famously claimed youth was wasted on the young. Apparently, he never met Effie Joiner, because she is not wasting a moment of her youth. Effie is not yet 27 but is putting nearly every minute to good use and having great fun along the way.

Effie is the newest member of the staff at the Friends of Boca Grande Community Center. She is a program assistant, helping primarily on the music front. She also helps with the lecture series, selling tickets in the office and assisting wherever needed.

THIS DATE IN THE BOCA BEACON

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Community History.

FIVE YEARS AGO Friends of Boca Grande announced they had plans to put up a sunshade at the Community Center outdoor stage. TEN YEARS AGO Abbie Turner hooked a giant jumping shark on the “Jill Marie,” but Wyatt took first in the BoMo. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO An unclaimed golf cart on the rocks, in the […]

Slowly but surely, Palm Island recovers

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.

Many were relieved to hear that Palm Island Resort fared as well as it did. It has become a generational family place to visit, with many grandparents taking their grandchildren to see Redbeard the Pirate perform, to eat ice cream at the tables outside Coconuts and play on the purple turtle playground, just as they did when they were young.

Weird summer weather these days includes something called a …

Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.

There’s yet another weather phenomenon beachgoers have to watch for in on the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the meteotsunami, a water wave seen June 21 on Clearwater Beach. 

The storm is another bit of off-kilter weather that seems to be hitting the Gulf of Mexico this summer, where oddities include record heat, scarce afternoon rains, bathtub-hot beach water and an upgraded hurricane forecast. All of this is not even a year after Hurricane Ian.

Second Honor Flight scheduled for October of this year

Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.

Southwest Florida Honor Flight (SWFL) has just announced it is hosting a second Honor Flight this year. The first one was in May (and included Boca Beacon publisher Dusty Hopkins), and this next one is scheduled for October 10. 

   Naomi Copeland, president of SWFL, said the second flight will leave from the Punta Gorda Airport. “This is the first time in 14 years that there has been more than one ‘mission’ annually,” Copeland said. She noted that the original intention was to have this mission dedicated to women veterans, but there have not been enough female veteran applications received to fill an entire flight. Thus they are now including men veterans, as well.

OBITUARY: Susan Hatch

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.

Susan Hatch, 77, of Chenequa, Wisconsin died on July 3, 2023. She was born in Janesville, Wisconsin as the daughter of Albert and Mary Hamlin.  She was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where she met her husband Jim, to whom she was married for 48 years.  In 1983 Susan founded Hatch Staffing Services. […]