Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Immense pride was my reaction to reading the Beacon’s feature about our stellar librarian, Toni Vanover. She has added so much to the spirit of our community by making everyone who enters the doors of Fust Library feel welcome, informed and at peace. For centuries, whether small or large, libraries […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO Waylon took his team on “Blaze” to victory at Ladies Day, the “Grande” Tradition began and the roster for the World’s Richest was announced with Capt. Chad Bombenger signed up in the number one spot. TEN YEARS AGO The “Elusive Tiger Shad” team took top honors at Ladies Day, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Big news has been handed down from the Boca Grande Cellphone Tower Committee and tower building company Vertical Bridge. They announced that it is possible we will have a fully operational cellphone tower – a permanent one – by the end of August.
According to Steve Gosnell, vice president of development with Vertical Bridge, they have received word that our tower would be fabricated and ready for delivery by the end of June. Sometime around the 4th of July it would be delivered if the schedule holds true.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
It was easy to see that the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board didn’t want to make the decision they felt they had to make on Wednesday, May 10 at their monthly meeting. The proposal was from the Boca Grande Health Clinic to demolish the old Annex building and to build a new building approximately four times the size of the old one – weighing in at 13,299 square feet. After a series of pointed questions directed to several Clinic representatives, though, they had to deny the Certificate of Appropriateness based on two criteria within the Boca Grande Historic District Design Guidelines, specifically addressing the mass and scale of the proposed building and its height.
The reasons given officially to the county were submitted as, “Although the Board did not object to the form or materials proposed for the proposed office, it found that the height of the structure is too large for the immediate block of surrounding residences. The proposal is therefore not consistent with Guideline 4.1. The Board finds that the proposed structure exceeds both the mass and scale of the block and therefore is not consistent with Guideline 4.3.”
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament of 2023 is fast approaching, with 25 boats expected to have signed up by early next week. Fishing will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, May 17 and 18, in Boca Grande Pass.
Last year’s winners were Capt. Wayne Joiner and his team aboard Hey, Moma! They took home $37,500. Anglers were Alex Shouppe, Chris Sanders, Michael Moorfield and Trey Starling, with First Mate Brecken Stinnett aboard as well.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
On Wednesday, May 11 Gov. Ron DeSantis had a bill on his desk that could affect Gasparilla Island in a big way. House Bill 949 is all about golf cart use and the requirements needed to operate one. As of Wednesday morning DeSantis issued a statement saying he was favorably inclined toward signing it.
The bill would require a golf cart driver to be 16 with a learners permit or drivers license or 18 and up. Drivers of all ages would be required to have a government-issued ID of some sort.
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
When it comes to trust, nurses continue to top Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics of Professions poll, according to the latest results published earlier this year. Nurses have held the top spot every year since 1999, except in 2001, when firefighters commanded that honor in the wake of the 9/11. (In case you’re wondering, medical doctors and pharmacists rank second and third; telemarketers, members of Congress and car salespeople rate worst.)
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The next time you see our local firefighters out selling their shirts or cooking up barbecue, remember why it is they do what they do. The answer is simple – they do what they do to help their friends and the community in times of need.
The Boca Grande Firefighter’s Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization created in 2009 to help firefighters and their families in times of strife. Even before that, though, our local firefighters were finding ways to give back to the community. Each year they would pool together what money they could between them, then give it to an island family who needed a little extra help for Christmas.
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Lawrence Forsell, 84, passed away peacefully with family members present on May 3, 2023. He was born in Rockford, Illinois, May 29, 1938, the son of George and Petrona Kazlauskas Forsell. Lawrence was united in Marriage to Alice Rix on December 6, 1985. At the age of 6, Lawrence’s father died from appendicitis. He was […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
It is a common myth that librarians are quiet, dull, and living in a world of fiction most of the time. If that is the image you have, Toni Vanover, Boca Grande’s librarian for the last 20 years, will quickly dispel it. She is funny, clever, and extremely smart. She loves people even more than she loves learning and sharing knowledge, and that says a lot, because those are things that really get her going.
Toni had not intended to be a librarian. It was more like a calling. After growing up in Staten Island, New York, she decided to go to George Washington University, in Washington, D.C., to become a diplomat or work in the Peace Corps.