Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community, Community History.
Old Red Gill lives on as a museum BY BETSY JOINER The Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum this year celebrates 25 years inside the Red Gill Fish House at Whidden’s. The Red Gill Fish House was the earliest building at what is now Whidden’s Marina. Sam Whidden began building his home next to it in the […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History.
Above, has Barbara looking as Chico checks Isabelle’s hair. BY KAREN GRACE Sam Whidden is remembered as a man who when he found an injured animal, especially a bird, he would nurse it and doctor it and feed it. He was said to be the same way with people. That love for animals continued throughout […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History, Featured News, News.
BY BETSY JOINER Whidden’s Marina is the longest-running family-owned business on Gasparilla Island. Its story began with founder Sam Whidden in the early 1920s, his home and the marina building completed in 1926. Following Sam Whidden’s death, his daughter, Isabelle Whidden Joiner, continued the family legacy when she moved to Whidden’s with her 3-year-old daughter […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Community History, News.
A notable place is not just a physical building. It is a building connected to a community and a group of people. Whidden’s Marina is a rare location, as most of the other institutions like it across the nation’s waterfronts have been demolished or turned into condos or residences. It is, of course, officially recognized […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Community History, News, Real Estate.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board will meet at 10 a.m. on Sept. 9 at the Auditorium of the Boca Grande Community Center, 131 1st St. W., Boca Grande, FL 33921. The board will discuss the house at 1000 10th St. Removal of the house from the historic district will be covered first, and then […]
Written by Anna Ridilla on . Posted in Breaking News, News, Police & Fire.
A group of about 30 island community leaders and members met on Tuesday morning, Aug. 25, at the Boca Grande Fire Department to discuss emergency operations and preparedness in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster. Among those in attendance were representatives from the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, Gasparilla Island Water Association, Lee […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO A new clinic opened in East Englewood. The clinic was offering monoclonal antibody treatments for patients testing positive for COVID. TEN YEARS AGO Agape Flights, of Venice, made its first trip to Cuba to deliver goods since travel restrictions had eased. They delivered boxes of food and 26 water filtration systems. FIFTEEN […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial.
At the Beacon, we are blessed with a staff that has a love for what grows around us. A few weeks ago, Daniel Godwin, our art director, brought in a tiny pineapple grown in his yard. It was cute, in the way that small Japanese-style miniature toys like Sonny Angel or Re-Ment are cute, as […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, News.
June 8, 2026, marked 30 years of employment at the Boca Grande Post Office for Cherre Hobbs. On June 29, 2026, Manager of Post Office Operations, Eric Bonds, visited the Boca Grande Post Office to present Cherre with a pin commemorating her 30 years of service. […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community History, Featured News, News.
Above, Powell marking the progress in between one of a number of sets of slow raises for the house. The concrete foundation band was added before it was raised. At the beginning of the week, crews from Flint and Doyle Structural Movers of Fort Myers took about a full day to raise the landmark Spanish […]