Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
BY T MICHELE WALKER – It all started with a blank canvas; a blank canvas an estate built in 1670. “I’m from Sherborn, Massachusetts, where we lived for 35 years,” said Susan O’Brien, Boca Grande Garden Club president. “We lived on a farm that was built in 1670. It was wonderful. When I started out […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY SUSAN HANAFEE – The Boca Bay Pass Club’s $3.5 million renovation project – delayed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic – will kick off April 12, with completion expected this November. “Why are we doing this? It’s the Pass Club’s 30th anniversary this year,” said Larry Hannah, chair of the renovation committee. “And […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
SUBMITTED BY THE GICIA – In October 2015 the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association realized that the perfect storm was brewing; an offer had been made by a resort developer to purchase the Mercabo property located at the entrance to Gasparilla Island. The 30 acres, armored by 4,700 linear feet of seawall, boasted potential […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY TONYA BRAMLAGE – Alliances are not always created equal, as is the case of the Boca Grande Art Center, and their commitment to the importance of the arts in the lives of the next generation. Part of the shared vision that sets the organization apart is their scholarship program. Every year a high school […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
BY T MICHELE WALKER – Most people spend their weekends relaxing away from work. Zach Rogalski, the new general manager of the Boca Grande Marina, spends his weekends touring Florida marinas with his wife and two young sons. “Most weekends we like to explore different marinas: We enjoy it,” he laughed. “We like to go […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Obituaries.
Claude “Allen” Sparks, 58, of Fort Ogden, FL. passed away on Friday, Jan. 29, 2020 in Port Charlotte, surrounded by his loved ones. Allen is survived by his wife, Missie Sparks; his children, Christopher and Christina Sparks, Kendra and Alejandro Villanueva, William and Casie Sparks, and James Doneburgh; his brother, Charles “Eddie” Sparks; his sisters, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Health & Wellness.
PROVIDED BY THE BOCA GRANDE HEALTH CLINIC – When it comes to affairs of the heart, you are never too old or too young to take steps that could change your own or a loved one’s life. Almost 15.4 million people in the U.S. have coronary heart disease. That’s not surprising since it is the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Note: Journalist and mystery writer Martin Walker’s annual appearance on the island – this one a virtual talk on global issues pertaining to Europe – courtesy of the Friends of Boca Grande will be rescheduled to Friday, February 12. If you have tickets to this livestream event, your current tickets will be valid for the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY TONYA BRAMLAGE – Island postal contractor Tom Gardner is asking for assistance from our island community to help his daughter, Heather, in her fight with leukemia. Two years ago the Boca Beacon featured Heather’s story when she was first diagnosed with a form of leukemia, in the summer of 2017, when she was in […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – When Mark Driscoll was a little boy, all he wanted to do was be a fighter pilot. Generations of Driscolls had been in law enforcement and the military, or worked for other government agencies. Mark kept that dream alive right up until the time he completed his physical for the Air […]