Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
FIVE YEARS AGO Boca Grande Causeway history was made after a massive Spring Break party a one-day car crossing record was set – 4,989 to be exact. TEN YEARS AGO Andy Ireland presided over his last GICIA meeting as president. He handed the key to Bayne Stevenson. Angela Steffan and Jack Damioli were named to […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor: This week, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) announced that, as a follow up to last year’s deployment of initial payment centers and the insurance village in January, the Division of Consumer Services will be hosting Insurance Villages from Monday, April 17th to Wednesday, April 19th. The villages will serve as an […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor: After Hurricane Ian hit, like most, we were assessing damages to our structures. All three of the historic structures that BIPS manages, operates and maintains have major damage caused by the storm and have been closed since its impacts last September. This update is specifically for Gasparilla Island Lighthouse (GIL) aka Rear […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Health & Wellness, News.
Over the past week, the red tide organism Karenia brevis was detected in 75 samples collected from Florida’s Gulf Coast. Bloom concentrations (>100,000 cells/liter) were present in 14 samples from Southwest Florida: one in Pinellas County, two in Manatee County, one in Sarasota County, seven in Charlotte County, and three in Lee County. Reports of […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages.
When you open your paper this week, make sure to remember that the little section that falls out from the middle IS NOT REAL NEWS. Please don’t think the chupacabras, the latrines on Gilchrist and … other strange things … are real. Please don’t call us about it … it’s all in good fun and […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
More than 50 people turned out to witness the ribbon cutting of the Wheeler Road Community Dog Park, which will be opening by the end of the summer with full amenities.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The second Annual Gasparilla Mallet Club Tournaments are in the history books, and they were resounding successes, according to Skip Russo, one of the tournament’s directors. At least 24 people took part in each of the two one-day tournaments, one for Golf Croquet on March 14, and one for 6-wicket Croquet on March 21. Some participants played in both tournaments.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History, News.
Joseph Spadaro came to Boca Grande in the 1920s. On Sunday, March 26, 2023, his great niece, Celeste Markle, came to the Boca Grande History Center to learn more about him. Her brother Bill Perta who lives in Vermont had called a few weeks earlier looking for information about his great uncle. Since Celeste was visiting from New Haven, Connecticut with a friend in Venice, Bill gave her the information that the History Center had created three notebooks about Spadaro and the Boca Grande Hotel he’d built and opened in 1929.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Florida Lighthouse Day is celebrated every year at lighthouses throughout the state to commemorate Florida’s lighthouse heritage and preservation, and on the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse grounds between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. festivities will be held as well. Join them to celebrate outside with free cupcakes and lemonade, with unique souvenirs and gifts available for purchase at both Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum and Gasparilla Island Lighthouse.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Absalom Markland and Ulysses Grant knew each other briefly while attending school in Kentucky. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Grant called on his high school friend to create an efficient system for mail delivery. At one point, Markland and his team were handling 250,000 pieces of mail a day. So in short he was the man responsible for delivering the most important morale builder, letters from home.