Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Charles C. Whitaker II, best known as Sonny, passed away on October 10, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. Sonny was born in Tampa on June 12, 1920 to parents Karl E and Olivia Moody Whitaker. He attended H.B. Plant High School and the University of Florida. He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The Coast Guard had to take two men off this sailboat on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 9 near Gasparilla Island, as eight-foot swells had the 50-foot sailboat in jeopardy. The unmanned vessel named “OldSkool” crashed into the jetty at the south end of the island by Port Boca Grande Lighthouse on Wednesday afternoon. No […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE – In 1941 Gasparilla Island was on alert, with the looming prospect of a world war in mind. Residents were taking turns standing on rooftops to watch for Nazi submarines in the Gulf of Mexico and Boca Grande Pass. When the bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7 of that year, […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
If you have someone special to you who has served in the U.S. military and you would like to recognize him or her, please contact us at the Boca Beacon. Our November 2 and 9 issues will contain the stories of some of the veterans who have lived on or are associated with Gasparilla Island. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN – The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board held its monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 10, and a debate continued about a proposal regarding a property on Banyan Street. The request, an item continued from the September 12 meeting, was to demolish an existing single-family residence and construct a new one at 235 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN – There’s a new friendly face at Englewood Bank ready to serve your financial needs. Cindy Bartzer started working at the island bank about two months ago. She actually found the job by happenstance. She walked in to the Cape Haze branch and asked for an application, and that led her to the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Pamela White Jones, 67 of Chickamauga, GA and former resident of Sandy Hook, Conn. was born November 29, 1950 in Lexington, Kentucky to Russell Edwin White and Betty Lee White. She passed away suddenly from an acute illness on September 30, 2018. She is the mother of Kyle Jones Hawkins (Tim) and Cannon Jones Wenzel […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: To call this season challenging would be an understatement. Of the six seasons the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association has been active on the island, 2018 will stand out with all the storms, predators, heat and hard work. Turtle predators thrived, and the red tide was relentless. One blessing this season: We […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
At about 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2 there were no boats to be found on Whidden’s Creek except one, holding three anglers out looking for clean water and a good bite: And we found it. Capt. Sandy Melvin was our guide, in a quick little Maverick with a shallow draft. He had made us […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN As they tirelessly work their way through the boxes, scanning photos, transcribing audio and sorting through a variety of other items, Jim and Rose Marie Blaha have been creating an online archive system at the Boca Grande Historical Society for the past year. With assistance from Crystal Diff, there is a […]