Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The U.S. Census Bureau statistics say that more than 50,000 people have moved to the Sarasota/North Port/Punta Gorda area in the last 18 months, and the state had 221,000 more residents arrive from other U.S. states than leave from July 2020 to July of 2021. This accounted for the biggest population gain for the state since 2005
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Sports & Outdoors.
Lee County Parks & Recreation and the Boca Beacon will sponsor another youth fishing tournament on Saturday, May 14 at the Boca Grande Fishing Pier, located on the north end of the island behind Kappy’s Island Shoppe, from 9 to 11 a.m. Prizes and awards are to be had in many different age groups. Live […]
Written by T Michele Walker on . Posted in News.
Planning and organizing such an event would be an exhausting venture for many people. For Camille, it was a rush. “I loved working with Bayard Sharp. He trusted me. He had the most wonderful sense of humor and a sense of adventure, like no one I have ever known in my life. We spent a year-and-a-half planning that party, and we had a wonderful time. It was probably one of the greatest experiences, not just in my career, but also in my personal life.”
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 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 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 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 Tonya Bramlage on . Posted in News.
When we consider alternative perspectives and adopt new approaches toward the environment and how we as humans impact it, the more likely we are to preserve our planet for future generations. The first Earth Day occurred on April 22,1970. It marked a growing consciousness of man-made, human-related environmental damage in the U.S. and around the globe. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson is credited with developing the concept. His primary goal was to organize teach-ins across university campuses in an attempt to bring greater awareness to air and water pollution issues. As a direct result of his efforts, the three “R’s” of sustainability were established. Notably, the most widely recognized among them are, “reduce, reuse, and recycle.”
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
BIPS’ educational programs and events inspire stewardship in the young and old alike, and sometimes the positive impact is astounding, even to BIPS’ staff. Recently, a young wader who learned about the environment in school was inspired after the Wading Adventures program to help make the world better. See her testimony on video at Vimeo.com/700782972. Another youngster decided to become a marine biologist to save marine life, and others express a desire to preserve history after visiting the lighthouses on docent led tours. Each story reflects a remarkable and personal dedication to protect nature and history that was influenced directly by a program or event hosted by BIPS.