Skip to main content
Search Results for “rid”

Historical Society elects six new board members at annual meeting

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.  

BIPS inspires stewardship: April Giving Challenge can help them in their mission

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. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Pastor Matthew Williams

Written by Susan Hanafee on . Posted in Profiles.

It was 10:30 p.m. and the end of a long day of moving for Matthew Williams, the new pastor at the Lighthouse United Methodist Church of Boca Grande. He was grimy and exhausted. He sat on the steps leading to the church office, contemplating the new life he and his young wife, Joy, were facing. Would this be the paradise it seemed when they crossed the bridge onto Gasparilla Island for the first time weeks earlier? Or something else? 

OBITUARY: Dick Stem

Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.

Dick Stem, a World War II veteran who built a successful Sarasota-area building supply company, died surrounded by family at his Boca Grande home on April 13, 2022. He was 94. The patriarch of a multigenerational Florida family, Dick was a character whose quick smile and love for telling a good joke endeared him to […]

BOCA BEACON TIMELINE: This week throughout four decades …

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages.

Boca Beacon backpages 4.22.2022 FIVE YEARS AGO The United Methodist Women of Boca Grande announced they raised $80,000 at the Strawberry Festival, which would be split among 25 charitable organizations.   TEN YEARS AGO The Bag Lady was back at Boca Bargains, GIBA was talking about a smaller tender house and a change to catwalks, […]

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Another successful egg hunt in the books!

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

A BIG THANK YOU to Patricia Bossey, Debby & Duncan Cross, Sue Fuller, Kris Ganong, Jane & Clark Hinkley, Lori Hunter, Marge Laughlin, Anne Lyons, Rebecca Martin, Madonna Merritt and Karen Zarse, as they spent quite a bit of time stuffing over 400 boxes filled with treats for the kids. On the day of the hunt, Georgia & Maddy Aguilar, Debby & Duncan Cross, Lori Hunter, Trent Keisling, Louise Martin, Mary Ann McGowan, Honey Skinner and Karen Zarse provided assistance where needed. Special recognition goes out to Pat Chapman, who when called upon, does anything and everything that is asked of her when it comes to the children. Pat spent her 22nd year volunteering for the hunt by filling goodie boxes on Thursday and supervising the prize table on Saturday. She was wearing her 2004 Smarty Jones winning Kentucky Derby hat too. YOU ARE THE BEST, PAT!

ECOWATCH: Let’s make every day Earth Day

Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Opinion.

It has been 52 years since the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 in Washington, D.C., and college campuses held rallies throughout America. It was a time of awakening. Many had said that Rachel Carson’s book, “Silent Spring,” which documented the adverse environmental effect caused by the indiscriminate use of pesticides, and the Santa Barbara oil spill in 1969, one of the largest oil spills in the U.S. at the time, killing over 3,500 birds and marine animals, were the catalysts for Earth Day.

Downtown road resurfacing looks like a ‘go’ for May

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.

Boca Grande’s road resurfacing is considered by Lee County to fall into the discretionary spending category funded by transportation capital improvement fees and taxes.
Streets included in the plan are parts of East Railroad Avenue, Palm Avenue, 7th Street, 8th Street East, 9th Street East, 10th Street East through 13th Street East and 18th Street East.