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Moving up, moving on, but never forgetting where they came from … The Island School Class of 2022

Our kids who have attended The Island School also have to contemplate going from a small group of 60 peers to a vast number of schoolmates that can reach almost 1,000. This year’s group of fifth grade graduates – numbering eight in all – will be following several different paths in the future, but one thing will always remain the same … they will be Island School alumni at heart.

TURTLE TRACKS: Sharks make the list for sea turtle predators, too

A female loggerhead whose left fin was destroyed in a shark attack leaving exposed bone, was treated for her injury on May 28, 2022 at the Miami Zoo’s new Sea Turtle Hospital in Miami, Florida. She had scars on her carapace that indicated a previous attack earlier in life officials reported. The hospital staff was […]

OBITUARIES: William ‘Bill’ Heisel

William A. “Bill” Heisel passed away on Monday, May 23, surrounded by his family, one week before his 96th birthday. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Patricia (nee O’Donnell) and sisters Marjorie Poss, Rita Sloan Roy and Dorothy Heisel. He is survived by his children: Heidi Heisel, William Heisel (Kellee), Julie Sullivan […]

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Boca Grande – for many, it’s a way of life, not a location

When we built a house a few years later, we thought ourselves the luckiest people alive. Oh, to be able to plan a few months each winter in Boca Grande! But even then, smitten as we were with Boca Grande, we had not a clue how it would become so much more than just a winter island respite from the snow-slushy north. Boca Grande began for us as a winter escape, not a “destination.” Then it absorbed us. Over the past 20+ years, we were submersed into a community of wonderfully involved, interesting and interested people, fabulously close friends. Unlike other of Florida seashore locales, Boca Grande was not a beach, a resort. It was a life.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Fertilizer ban prevents nutrient pollution in waterways

Charlotte County Water Quality Manager Brandon Moody said in an interview with WGCU radio that the algal growth enabled by excessive nutrients “can cause a reduction in oxygen in the water that can make it difficult for fish and other organisms that need oxygen to survive. It can block out sunlight, which seagrass needs to be able to grow and thrive. So, it’s important for us to do our part to maintain the balance, which is really what it’s all about in ecosystems like Charlotte Harbor. It’s about balance.”

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Hughes Gallery owner says goodbye … for now

Monday was our last day at 333 Park Avenue. We’ve still not found a suitable spot for the gallery, so, we have decided to organize a “Mobile Gallery,” which will continue to bring beautiful art to your Boca Grande or surrounding homes, and which will allow us to take our wonderful artists works to other destinations, hopefully with your help!

ECOWATCH: The alarm bell has been rung, the oceans are in trouble

Boca Beacon backpages “We have little time to nurture the ocean’s resilience, remove threats and pollutants,eliminate disruption, especially because global warming has an increasing impact on ocean health.”– IAP statement on the protection of our marine environment Almost all of the quotes appearing in EcoWatch have come from individuals. However, this week an organization, called […]

Teams are getting ready for the Gasparilla Island Kids’ Classic 

There comes a time in many kids’ lives when they have to realize they have to pony up and take on the big fish … to stare that giant silver king in the eye and tell him he’s been bested. We’re hoping a lot of that takes place on Saturday, June 11 during the Gasparilla Island Kids’ Classic, a tournament that has become a well-loved island tradition since 2014. 

REMEMBRANCES: 1942: Life in America 80 years ago

Memorial day is, by definition, a time for remembering. But only a few people on earth today were alive in 1942 as eyewitnesses to one of the bleakest years in our country’s history. Through no fault or achievement of my own, I am one of them. I salute the rare few still-living fellow Americans who served our country at that time.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Jerry and Chrissy take on the Continental Divide

Jerry has just retired after more than 30 years of managing the operations of the Boca Grande Marina and working in other capacities for Boca Grande’s Nicholas family. Chrissy is taking a leave from the Bowen Construction Company. Together they are leaving for the Upper Northwest of the U.S. to hike the Continental Divide Scenic Trail from the Canadian border of Montana to the Mexican border of New Mexico, passing through Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming along the way. In all, the trek will cover 2,700 to 3,100 miles. All on foot.