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Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap with Palm Players beginning Jan. 10 

BY  ELAINE SKYPALA, ROYAL PALM PLAYERS When Agatha Christie wrote this thrilling murder mystery, she would never have guessed that The Mousetrap would become the longest-running play in history. This January, Royal Palm Players is excited to have you join a group of strangers trapped in Monkswell Manor, a snowbound country inn. If you have […]

Noted photographer gives smartphone tips

Do you want to learn how to use your smartphone to create incredible photos? The Boca Grande Camera Club is pleased to announce a presentation to be given by noted photographer and scientist Melissa Needle on Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 10 a.m. at the Crowninshield house, 240 Banyan Street, as well as via zoom. Melissa […]

Sonia Purnell stories of Pamela Harriman

History enthusiasts and literary lovers are in for a riveting afternoon on Tuesday, Jan. 14, as New York Times bestselling author Sonia Purnell visits the Boca Grande Community Center to deliver a speech on her latest biography, Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue. Purnell, a British journalist and biographer known for […]

Upcoming Friends Events

Marisa Bass on public art and monuments Marisa Bass, Professor of Art History, will speak on “The Monument’s End, Public Art and Modern Republic” on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 4:30 p.m. at the Boca Grande Community Ctr., 131 First St. W, Boca Grande. Call (941) 964-0827 or FriendsofBocaGrande.org Global Issues Martin Walker, renowned journalist, historian […]

Corkscrew Swamp will open new Discovery Center in February

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Spurlino Foundation Discovery Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road. The invitation-only reception will mark the grand opening of the reimagined Discovery Center, designed to inspire exploration and learning about the Western Everglades. The Discovery […]

Visitor Guide ready for 2026 island season

The Boca Beacon received delivery this week of our annual Visitor’s Guide. Copies will be available at stands around town, in hotels, real estate offices and throughout the region.  The Visitor’s Guide is one of several Boca Beacon publications, including the 4-Digit Phone Book and Gasparilla Island Magazine. Last week, we published our annual Boca […]

Christmas-time birthdays, a ‘December to remember’

One can get a pulse on Florida’s mood each year by looking at Publix’s annual Christmas TV commercial. The ads premiere after Thanksgiving annually during sporting events and live on, now seemingly permanently, via the company’s YouTube channel. They follow a certain format, showing idyllic domestic scenes in a house, all interspersed with views of […]

Crochet for the kids: Maria Pardo-Thompson

Maria Pardo-Thompson is rarely without yarn nearby. Over the years, her crocheted blankets, hats, loveys and small stuffed animals have ended up in ambulances, hospital nurseries, classrooms and family homes. Some are held by premature babies in neonatal intensive care units. Others are kept by firefighters and paramedics to comfort children during emergencies. After Hurricane […]

David A. Jenkins, 1941-2025

David Albert Jenkins, 84 died peacefully on December 12, 2025, watching the sun set on the Gulf of Mexico from his home in Boca Grande. His loving and supportive children, Dave and Bonnie, and his devoted wife Barbara were at his side.  Dave was born on February 28, 1941, to Helen Klinger Jenkins and Joseph […]