Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO Friends of Boca Grande announced they had plans to put up a sunshade at the Community Center outdoor stage. TEN YEARS AGO Abbie Turner hooked a giant jumping shark on the “Jill Marie,” but Wyatt took first in the BoMo. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO An unclaimed golf cart on the rocks, in the […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Many were relieved to hear that Palm Island Resort fared as well as it did. It has become a generational family place to visit, with many grandparents taking their grandchildren to see Redbeard the Pirate perform, to eat ice cream at the tables outside Coconuts and play on the purple turtle playground, just as they did when they were young.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
The Gasparilla Island Water Association’s “Bayou Bridge” will be dismantled by the first of the year – and maybe sooner, according to GIWA Executive Director Ron Bolton. The low bridge is on 7th Street, just north of the Gasparilla Inn golf course bridge.
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.
Kathy Auman has a fan club. The members are mostly young children, but many are also the parents of these children. For those who are not familiar with Kathy and what the fan club is all about, Kathy is the author of a series of books about a secret organization of youngsters who help the […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
There’s yet another weather phenomenon beachgoers have to watch for in on the Gulf of Mexico. It’s the meteotsunami, a water wave seen June 21 on Clearwater Beach.
The storm is another bit of off-kilter weather that seems to be hitting the Gulf of Mexico this summer, where oddities include record heat, scarce afternoon rains, bathtub-hot beach water and an upgraded hurricane forecast. All of this is not even a year after Hurricane Ian.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
I n order to continue the process of removing debris from local waters due to Hurricane Ian, the state will allow blue crab traps to remain in situ through what was a planned closure period. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Order only applies to the waters of Collier, Lee and Charlotte and […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
Southwest Florida Honor Flight (SWFL) has just announced it is hosting a second Honor Flight this year. The first one was in May (and included Boca Beacon publisher Dusty Hopkins), and this next one is scheduled for October 10.
Naomi Copeland, president of SWFL, said the second flight will leave from the Punta Gorda Airport. “This is the first time in 14 years that there has been more than one ‘mission’ annually,” Copeland said. She noted that the original intention was to have this mission dedicated to women veterans, but there have not been enough female veteran applications received to fill an entire flight. Thus they are now including men veterans, as well.
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
The Cape Haze Publix, officially Store 697, is planning to offer a pharmacy early this fall.
Lindsey Willis, media relations manager for Publix for our southeast region, confirmed that the store will offer a pharmacy but did not yet have a firm date.
The shopping center located at 8725 Placida Road was constructed in 1999, according to leasing agent David Fasano of Southeast Centers. The shopping center’s tenants include Englewood Bank and Trust, The UPS Store, D.O. Nails, Tarpon Real Estate, Little Tony’s Pizza and BNT Liquors.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Susan Hatch, 77, of Chenequa, Wisconsin died on July 3, 2023. She was born in Janesville, Wisconsin as the daughter of Albert and Mary Hamlin. She was a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where she met her husband Jim, to whom she was married for 48 years. In 1983 Susan founded Hatch Staffing Services. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
There are few Southern gentlemen left, but by outward appearances, so far, John Garland Pollard IV might be one of them. He is our new staff writer at the Boca Beacon and Gasparilla Island Magazine, and knowing how crazy you have to be to write for a living, we might want to check his crawl space and backyard to see if there are any bodies hidden there.