Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ SUBMITTED BY DR. MICHAEL CROSBY MOTE MARINE LABORATORY The fact that Southwest Florida is currently experiencing devastating impacts from harmful algal blooms (HABs) is well understood by all of us who call this region home. What is not as well understood by many is that we are experiencing two simultaneous but separate types of […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, News.
■ SUBMITTED BY TIMMY SPAIN Editor’s note: Columnist Tim Spain wrote a piece about the Albritton family in May, 2018. This is part two of that series. Aaron Robert Albritton or “Twister,” as many folks came to call him, was born in 1861 in Polk County. (I may well be wrong about the location.) He […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN It’s baby sea turtle time. The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association reported the first hatch from zone five on Monday, July 9. This was the second hatch of the season and there were several more during the week. Patrol members said all of them oriented perfectly with the direction of the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The Fireworks display that was scheduled for the night of the 4th of July at Boca Grande Marina will be held tonight, July 6, at around 9:30 p.m.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association reported the first known hatch of the season on Tuesday, July 3. The nest was laid on May 7, so it incubated for 57 days. “The hatchlings were disoriented, but some did make it to the water safely,” said BGSTA Board Member Mel Csank. “We’ve […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News, Obituaries.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE It’s very hard to put into words what Isabelle Joiner meant to the heart and soul of Gasparilla Island. She didn’t just live on the island, and she wasn’t just raised on the island. She truly was the island. On the morning of June 20, 2018, when she passed away, a tangible […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ PROVIDED BY THE BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY This is not the story of how the Woman’s Club along with Captain Carey Johnson brought the Water Company to Boca Grande. Nor is it the story of the Gasparilla fishing village at the north end of the island or of a tarpon tournament, although it includes […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The Florida Press Association recently announced random winners of their Better Weekly Newspaper contest, and the Beacon staff is up for seven top honors in their circulation division. The awards will be officially announced at the Florida Media Conference, this year held in Orlando, on August 10. In the running for their […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, News.
BY TIMMY SPAIN The man in this photo was a true Florida Cracker. Aaron Robert Albritton was his name, but everybody called him Twister. I guess he couldn’t afford a horse, so he trained that steer to haul him around the woods. Those woods are in Hardee, Manatee and Desoto counties. He was born in […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: Congratulations on writing a significant editorial regarding the spring break party that was held recently. Without being specific, the editorial was more superficial than comprehensive. All of us “locals” – locals being defined as those people who have lived here for a long period of time, especially those who remember how things […]