Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The next time you’re in downtown Boca Grande, stop by Gasparilla Outfitters and Special Effects to get a glimpse of the future. Capt. Sandy and Robin Melvin have the first Bitcoin DCM, (digital coin machine), on the island, which makes it easy for you to become a part of something that, in the ways of […]
Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns.
EcoWatch “I do not think of all the misery, but of the glory that remains. Go outside into the fields, nature and sun, go out and seek happiness in yourself and in God. Think of all the beauty that again and again discharges itself within and without, and be happy and thankful.” – Anne Frank, author and victim of […]
Written by T Michele Walker on . Posted in News.
Support your local businesses at the Christmas Walk next Saturday This feature is part one in a series that recognizes how different this year’s holiday shopping might be for many. With shortages of all kinds in the stores and much longer than average wait times on gifts that ship from far away, keep these tips […]
Written by Tonya Bramlage on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
Who would ever dare to imagine putting oneself in a situation that would purposely trigger the flight or fight response typically associated with an unexpected encounter with bees be therapeutic? If you have ever experienced the unwelcome and unwanted presence of bees in or anywhere around your perimeter, you know the terrifying feeling first hand. […]
Written by T Michele Walker on . Posted in News.
(Warning, a multitude of mosquito larvae were harmed during the writing of this story) Three warriors step forward, cross-armed, ready to take flight. Cue Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” The warriors’ names are Jamie Fowler, Scott Shanks, and pilot Mike Haslam, members of the Lee County Mosquito Control District (LCMCD or nicknamed “The District”) team. […]
Written by T Michele Walker on . Posted in Profiles.
From water skier, fisherman, waitress, to Home Depot employee, Mary Spinks has done it all. But please don’t call her “first mate” as she prefers the title of “admiral.” The distinction is important when you’re the wife of a captain. On the surface, one wouldn’t think a woman from ice-tundra Minnesota would have a lot […]
Written by T Michele Walker on . Posted in Profiles.
While most college kids were out there slinging hash, waiting tables or working on campus to make ends meet, island resident Alice Court took the bull by the horns. A vocal opera major in college, she had a revelation. “I realized that opera jobs, particularly jobs for Sopranos, are few and far between. Not knowing […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community.
Construction could begin in early 2022 It has been a long, strange, expensive trip for a Boca Grande couple since the day they purchased the property on Gasparilla Road known as “The Fishery.” What started out as a plan to create a bridge club venue has turned into something much more, and this week progress […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community.
On Thursday, Nov. 4 the possibility of the National Register of Historic Places nomination proposed for the residential historic district of Boca Grande becoming a reality faded one more step into the distance … and possibly for good … as the Florida Department of State’s National Historic Review Board unanimously decided that the district was […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Featured News, Obituaries.
BY CARROLL SWAYZE – It is with overwhelming sadness I share the news that my son, Capt. Shannon Lee Hoeckel, left us to fly with the angels on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, forever changing the dynamic of our family and our world.Shannon was born during a wild stormy night on January 21, 1979. When they […]