Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Kevin Mills is almost an institution in Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island. Nearly everybody knows him.They recognize him by the brown uniform he wears and the big brown truck he drives, but mostly they recognize him by his smile and his infectious friendliness. Kevin is our UPS delivery driver. “Our” is appropriate because this is […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial.
This week is one I have been dreading and looking forward to all at the same time. The youngest of my five children will be graduating from The Island School and moving on to bigger things. This was the first year since 2006 that I haven’t had to fill out a registration form for the […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
For several years now, groups that use the Community Center facilities, especially high-use groups, have been talking about making improvements: The Historical Society needs more space; Royal Palm Players needs a better back stage; Friends would like more comfortable seating and high-tech equipment in the auditorium; Boca Bargains needs more space; the duplicate bridge group needs space; The Island School needs a little more space and a dedicated room for lunch and after-school programs; all groups could benefit from a dedicated meeting room. This list goes on and on.
What would be needed is to restore and renovate all that is wonderful (that includes leaving the exterior of our buildings as they are), and modernizing the guts of the entire facility, addressing issues such as ADA compliance, HVAC shortcomings, technology challenges and opportunities, and general needs for more and better space. After all, some 34 island organizations use the Community Center at one time or another during a season.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
When Jordan Rivera saw the line at the bathroom in the local bar called Bandito’s early Sunday morning, he did what a lot of guys would do in the same circumstance – he went outside to find a place to take care of his needs. Guys are usually lucky to be able to do that, […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
While the adults are getting ready to “Howl” at Sunday night’s Howl at the Moon Tarpon Tournament, young fisherfolk from throughout the area are getting ready to have their own tarpon tournament next weekend. The Howl will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 28. Awards will be given out at Whidden’s […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
This week island resident Gary Martin was out in his boat going around the island, looking for gunk. It’s not an activity that a lot of people partake in, but he is very concerned about the vast amount of floating organic matter in our harbor and backcountry water. Gary had already seen it in the water in front of his island home – patches of what appears to be sludge mixed with collard greens, followed by a disturbing absence of seagrass in the shallow waters right outside of his home. But he wanted to see how far it went and how much there was.
He took Boca Beacon Publisher Dusty Hopkins with him to take photographs. Gary thought they would have to go down to Redfish Pass to see large amounts of the gunk, but they didn’t get that far. They had already seen three huge fields of it before they got anywhere close. They also saw more bald spots in the harbor and Intracoastal where the seagrass was gone.
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
Strokes happen when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, which prevents brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients, which leads to brain damage or death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stroke is the fifth- leading cause of death in the U.S. and is a leading cause of long-term disability.
May is National Stroke Awareness Month, an opportunity to learn about stroke prevention and treatment. Stroke risk increases as we age. Women generally live longer than men, so it’s not surprising that more women have strokes over their lifetimes than men. In the U.S., one in five women between the ages of 55 and 75 will have a stroke, according to the 2006 Framingham Stoke Study.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Sometimes we have to remember that ours are not the only fishing tournaments going on at this time of year. Island son Parker O’Bannon recently took top honors at the second annual Tarpon Fly Fishing Invitational, held May 21 through May 23 at the Tarpon Lodge in Pineland.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News, Profiles.
Gary Robinson loves making music. Making it for the people of Boca Grande raises it to a whole new level for him. Gary is the drummer for the new rock band known as “The Green Flash, Boca Grande,” which has taken the island by storm this past spring. The music the band plays and the town have a lot in common.
“It’s what I love about Boca Grande, “ Gary said. “We’ve been coming here for over 30 years, and it’s like stepping back in time. Like when I was younger, much younger. Like the ‘60s and ‘70s. That hasn’t been lost here … courtesy and friendliness. I get very emotional about it.”
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: We are deeply disappointed to report that Governor DeSantis has signed Senate Bill 540, legislation that will decimate citizens’ planning rights and imperil the future of Everglades restoration. We regret that he did not heed the warnings of so many Floridians like you, including more than 5,770 who signed our veto petition, […]