Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: It was another miraculous year for the Haitian people. When we sent a thank you letter to the Boca Beacon editor in mid-April, we said we hoped we would make our goal (50 houses) by season’s end as we have in the past. At that time we were overwhelmed after we had […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Sea turtle nesting season officially began on May 1, but one anxious loggerhead started the season early and made her nest on Monday, April 29. The first nest of the season was found and documented in Zone 8 (Range Light walkway south to Sea Grape Park) by Donna Larson and Ashley […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Boca Grande’s own William S. Farish’s thoroughbred, Code of Honor, completed his major preparation earlier this week for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby by working a half-mile in less than 47 seconds with exercise rider Brian Duggan. The horse is kept at Lane’s End Farms in Versailles, Kentucky. Code of Honor, a chestnut-colored […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The Boca Grande Fire Department and Lee County EMS responded to their first shark bite call since 2005 on Wednesday, May 1. At approximately 6:42 p.m. the call came in. The victim had been fishing on a boat in Boca Grande Pass when he lost his balance and fell into the water. […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE The artwork for the 2019 World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament hit the streets last week, and it still has people tearing up a little bit. According to Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Wesley Locke, artist Kelly Reark put a lot into this one. The artwork features the boats that won […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
The weather may have cooled off, but the island is heating up with the hustle and bustle of season again. Visitors and residents alike are flocking back to one of Southwest Florida’s most prized possessions. Restaurants and area shops are getting busier, and the roads will soon be packed. Fishing gear was removed from a […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The Island School Art Show was a true testament to the creativity and talent of our island children. Shown above, one of the local arts’ greatest supporters, Susan Bowers; a group shot of just a few of the kids who exhibited at the show; Wicket Barger and his entries for the Camera Club; Will Duke […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
All the students at The Island School took field trips last week. Shown here, grades 3-5 took their annual excursion to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, where they studied form, different types of paintings and the artists who painted them, and much more. Shown below, grades K-2 went to the Big Cat Habitat and Gulf […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Profiles.
Janet Johnson has one of the most scenic views she has ever had from a desk job. Her current position with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as administrative assistant at Gasparilla Island State Park affords her a spot that overlooks the beach, lighthouse and Boca Grande Pass. Originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, Janet moved to west Tennessee […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Obituaries.
Walter William “Bill” Lathrop, Jr., a lifelong resident of Northwest Ohio, passed away April 15, 2019 at the Kingston Residence of Perrysburg at the age of 85. Bill was born on June 5, 1933 in Toledo to the late Walter William “Dutch” Sr. and Cornelia Kelsey (Coley) Lathrop. He attended Ottawa Hills Elementary School and […]