This past Sunday, Jan. 30, the First Baptist Church of Boca Grande honored their pastor, Dr. (Pastor) Gary Beatty and his wife Betty for 50 years of service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Of those years, 21 have been here in Boca Grande.
The church celebrated with a special service and lunch in the Polk Fellowship Hall. Several members commented on Pastor Beatty’s passionate preaching from the Word of God and Betty’s beautiful touch on the organ and piano.
William “Bill” Johnson, 82, died peacefully and surrounded by family in his home on January 28, 2022. William Vincent Johnson was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, on January 7, 1940, the fifth son of James and Eleanor nee Kerrick Johnson. Eleanor passed away when “Billy” was four, after giving birth to her sixth child, a girl. […]
How about COVID-19? We share quite a bit with our furry companions: homes, food, time spent cuddling, playing and walking — and some pets are even allowed to sleep in our beds.
While this closeness is always desirable, one of the main reasons for having these loving creatures, there could be a price to pay for this privilege if their owners have COVID-19.
While it was a rainy night for the opening party of the Boca Grande Film Festival, the people who gathered in the Boca Grande Community Center Woman’s Club Room were warm and sheltered from the elements, as they celebrated the announcement of films. This event was virtual last year, so this was a welcome gathering.
Sponsored by the Boca Beacon and Friends of the Boca Grande Community Center, this event includes special guests from some of the films. Many of these have been viewed at well-known festivals such as Sundance and each one was hand-picked for the event.
Here is your line-up of films and schedule for the 2022 Boca Grande Film Festival:
Gillespie arrived on the Island in December 1978 to work in management for the newly constructed Boca Grande Club. She tells this story and 25 years worth of other information at the first of this season’s Historical Society “History Bytes,” presentation at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the Johann Fust Library.
The Boca Grande Club had one condominium building and only pilings for the restaurant building in 1978, and Janet recalls that the town of Boca Grande except for Nabor’s gas station, Fugate’s and the Temptation was run down and boarded up.
The Royal Palm Players have worked hard this year to be creative and bring you live theater, despite the complications of COVID. They were able to move “Inherit the Wind” outside and sold out to enthusiastic audiences every evening. Their dinner theatre, “Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play” was performed to sold-out […]
As the island welcomes seasonal visitors back to Boca Grande, the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority wants to encourage all toll pass account holders to register for online toll account monitoring.Simply follow the instructions at right to set up your access. Once established, you can use this feature to replenish your account, monitor your usage, print […]
On Thursday, Feb. 3, popular Lit Forum presenter Simona Balzer will offer her interpretation of “A Long Petal of the Sea” by renowned author Isabel Allende.Quite different from her widely-acclaimed “The House of the Spirits,” this epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents follows two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish […]
Everett William “Bill” Munsell, 96, formerly of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully on Jan. 20, 2022, in Englewood, following a fall and hip fracture on Dec. 21.Services are planned for a later date to be announced by family members.A native of Boone, Iowa, Bill served in the Army during World War II before graduating in […]
Volunteering is a simple way to improve your health, ease feelings of loneliness and broaden social networks. Nature lover and Lemon Bay Conservancy Wildflower Preserve’s volunteer chair, Lucia Schattleleyn, is a lifelong volunteer and considered by those who know her well as an expert on the subject. Three in five Americans surveyed in a recent polling report felt lonely. Researchers attributed these findings to a variety of factors, including a lack of social support, infrequent meaningful social interactions, poor physical and mental health, and an imbalance in daily activities. Furthermore, studies show that volunteering not only helps people feel less lonely, it can also improve physical well-being.
Loneliness often times stems from unwanted solitude. A potential cure? Kindness toward others and our environment. Opportunities to give back are becoming more readily available than they were last year, and the need for volunteers steadily continues to grow. “Volunteering is one of the best, most certain ways that we can find purpose and meaning in our life,” shares Lemon Bay Conservancy member Marian Schneider.
