Written by Delores Savas on . Posted in Columns, Opinion.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a necropsy found that the dolphin had been impaled in the head with a spear-like object while alive. The agency suspects that by the shape and size of the wound, the dolphin was likely being fed illegally.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
“Joe will be conducting activities for our guest families during season,” he said, “and when The Inn is closed for the summer, he will be conducting a camp for employees’ children. We needed a family program: It’s one of the things that was missing here. We had kids’ activities, but not as much for families. Kids are coming more and more throughout the entire season, not just for spring break, and Joe is a perfect fit. He spent more than two decades with Lee County and we know how well he deals with kids through our own experiences with him, and watching how he interacts with our own kids and how much they love him. So many families have built relationships with Joe on island, so we knew it would work out very well.”
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 Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Ladies’ Night Out Howl at the Moon tournament will take place on Saturday, May 21, with fishing from 8 to 11 p.m. The entry fee is $700 per team, with $100 of each entry donated to the Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum.
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 Guest Columnist on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
The new boat is a 9M Interceptor with an aluminum hull and a ¾ enclosed cabin. She is powered by twin Mercury Motors, has a fire pump that delivers over 500 gallons per minute of water, front and rear deck guns and dive doors.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Police & Fire.
It’s been a busy time lately for the Boca Grande Fire Department and Lee County EMS, as they’ve responded to a plethora of calls that involve everything from falls to elevator rescues, downed power lines to brush fires and more. Here are some highlights from the last few days.