Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY BONNIE PRINGLE, GIWA – With the past 12-month total rainfall for our area considered severely abnormal, the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) voted to declare a Phase I water shortage. Rainfall recorded by Gasparilla Island Water Association, Inc. on the Island in 2019 was approximately 12 inches below our […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – A walk on the beach along on the shore of Charlotte Harbor, at the south end of the island by Hill Tide Estates, has been temporarily restricted by an orange barrier and bustling construction. The private pier that runs along the water is currently under construction. The Seagate Development Group is […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor: It’s Okay to Play! The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed how we are living our lives. Many families have been together at home for a couple of months with their young children, which has been quite an adjustment for all of us. The stress associated with lost jobs, reduced wages and fear […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News.
To the Editor: Everyone is invited to join the Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership 2020 Watershed Summit on June 1-2, 2020, with the theme “From Heartland to Coast: Protecting our Water, Wildlife, and Future.” The Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Program (CHNEP) is a partnership to protect and restore water and wildlife habitat in […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Profiles.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – Local resident Daniel O’Connell has enjoyed spending his retirement on the bustling beaches of Boca Grande. The former law representative now serves the Barrier Island Parks Society as their current president. Born in Newark, Daniel spent his childhood in the small community of Summit, New Jersey. He studied accounting and earned […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
Marilyn Hoeckel was the editor of the Boca Beacon from 1990 to 1998. She was the director and curator of the Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum from 1998 to 2003. She moved to Bucks County, PA in 2003, where she was born and raised. She is a volunteer for the Doylestown Historical Society and works part-time […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY OLIVIA CAMERON – As the school year comes to a close, parents of local graduating seniors look into the faces of their children, realizing just what they will be missing this year. While senior parties, prom and being kings and queens of the school may not seem important in the face of a deadly […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE – Never let it be said that William Woodroffe doesn’t know how to put a tarpon tournament together. When he heard that Ladies’ Day wasn’t going to be held this year, he couldn’t stand by and not give the ladies of the Pass their day of fishing … and so the Quarantine […]
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BY LAUREN HANA, MD – Once upon a time there was a small town nestled on a strip of sand they call a barrier island. Her restaurants hummed with conversation and laughter and her downtown streets teemed with shoppers. Neighbors met regularly for cocktails at sunset and chided each other about who was the most […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
STAFF REPORT – Islanders are beginning to head north and are asking about where to leave non-perishable food. Questions may be directed to Jane Caple at (941) 223-2367, Jim Cochrun at (239) 682-0091 or Nick Kaiser at 964-0141. Also, Jim Bensen of Paradise Exclusive/Parsley-Baldwin will continue to accept non-perishable food at the office at 428 […]