Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
And then we found a message in a bottle. Somewhere along a stretch of Boca Grande beach, probably the same day we found it, some kids decided to send out a message to the world in a time-honored way, by tossing a bottle into the water with a note in it and letting the currents take it to its destiny.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community.
The Island School held their annual art show this past week at the Boca Grande Art Center, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for the students’ work. Here are a few highlights …
Written by Tonya Bramlage on . Posted in News.
Each volunteer is assigned a section of the beach, called a zone, that they patrol by walking every morning. When they see the distinct flipper tracks of a turtle, it is their esteemed task to determine whether the sea turtle has made a successful nesting attempt or a false crawl. A false crawl happens when the turtles come up onto the beach without digging a nest. Once a determination has been made, volunteers then mark the nest and protect it with wood stakes and colored tape.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Gina Thomsen has a passion for life…the life of every creature she encounters. Thomsen is sometimes known as “the bird lady,” but she is really the “every living creature” lady. If you want evidence of that, go swimming or paddleboarding with her in the Gulf sometime. The dolphins and manatees know her board and honor her presence by seeking her out. She is known by some as the dolphin and manatee whisperer.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Isaac “Ike” Blackburn Roberts, age 93, Nokomis, Fla., died on Sunday, April 24, 2022. He was born August 19, 1928 in Clayton, Ga., while his parents, Julian Bryant Roberts and Effie Elvira Blackburn Roberts were vacationing. He graduated in June 1947 from Sarasota High; and he married Dorothy Wilma Buckmaster on June 20, 1948. Ike […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial.
The sense of loyalty to our island community in our newsroom is profound. Whether you are a billionaire from the Northeast or a high school baseball player selling cookies to support the team, we are here for you. We want your news – good or bad – to be printed in our newspaper so we can contribute to the history of this amazing place. We hope that someday 100 years from now, someone sorting through their grandmother’s attic will find an old Boca Beacon news article about how she won the Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament raffle. We hope that someone searching for their ancestors online can find a scanned version of an article about their great-great-grandfather that brings them more information in their search.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
Herbeque Catering is a staple at the Boca Grande Farmers Market, bringing good food and friendship to the Island every week. Today, the owners of Herbeque, Herbert and Danielle Prince, are also bringing thoughts of peace and freedom as they share their concern about the American service members who are in Europe supporting the people and government of Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Ladies’ Night Out Howl at the Moon tournament will take place on Saturday, May 21, with fishing from 8 to 11 p.m. The entry fee is $700 per team, with $100 of each entry donated to the Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History, News.
Board President Pam Heilman reported on the success of the 2021-2022 season’s events and thanked the sponsors, including Arcadia Publishing, Bank of America Private Bank, Fergeson Skipper Law Firm, Florida Humanities Council and the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs, Hazeltine Nurseries, Italiano Insurance Services, Shively Charitable Foundation as well as Ron and Betsy Drake, Pam and Bob Heilman, Nancy and Martin Lyons, Marty and Gina McFadden, Whitney Ransome and Tom Wilcox. She thanked the Boca Grande Woman’s Club for its grant to purchase the archival display case that preserves the 100-year-old originating documents of Boca Grande at the History Center. She also introduced the Society’s staff – Executive Director Crystal Diff and Administrative Director Kimberly Kyle – and announced that the organization has grown to more than 450 members.
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Health & Wellness.
As part of our year-long celebration of the Boca Grande Health Clinic’s 75th anniversary, the Clinic is pleased to present a short series of web videos that capture some of the “secrets” to having a long, productive life – told by some of the Island’s elders. The third episode of the series features Robert (Bob) […]