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GIBA discusses updates, special requests at engineering meeting

■ STAFF REPORT Construction status updates, vibration analysis reports and a special request were on the agenda for The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority Engineering Committee meeting held on Wednesday, April 13 in the Bridge Authority conference room. A request from Wagner Trucking to drive a metal track vehicle over the causeway was discussed as well, […]

Clinic events raise more than $350,000

■ STAFF REPORT       The Boca Grande Health Clinic had an exciting two days last week, as their annual fundraising festivities began with a quarterly meeting on Thursday, April 7 (see page 20 for that story) and ended with the Hank Wright Golf Tournament on Friday, April 8. A new and exciting event was […]

100 trillion friends you didn’t know you had

■ BY SUE ERWIN      A common word that often comes to mind when many people think about bacteria is “gross.” Mote Marine postdoctoral research fellow Dr. Andrea Tarnecki tried to break that bad reputation on Tuesday, April 12 at a ‘Science Café’ event held at the Johann Fust Community Library. The free educational […]

Residents observe GICIA Preserve at public meeting

■ BY SUE ERWIN      Committee Chair Bayne Stevenson of the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association unveiled a large reproduction illustrating the envisioned GICIA Preserve at a public meeting held on Wednesday, April 13 at the property, located at Gasparilla Road and the Boca Grande Causeway. He thanked the crowd for the support […]

PROFILE: Jim Benson

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE & JIM BENSON Jim Benson may be a young man, but his passion for life and his work ethic run deep. That’s not to say he’s a guy who can’t have a good time – he definitely can – but he has proven to be one of the most up-and-coming real […]

Educational summit features educational celebrities

■ BY SUE ERWIN      At an educational summit held on Tuesday, April 5 at the Boca Grande Community Center, some of the nation’s top educators gathered with islanders to talk about new trends and successful techniques in educating our primary and secondary school-age children. The invitation-only event, orchestrated by Cavendish Global, packed the […]

GICIA begins to unveil plans for The Preserve

■ SUBMITTED BY THE GICIA The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association has an insert in this week’s Beacon to acknowledge and thank the many, many donors who have supported our bold initiative to purchase and protect the 30-acre Mercabo property, now known as the .” Our board and staff are tremendously grateful for your […]

Iguana millage to increase, bidding process to begin soon

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE      Iguana hunting taxes are going up by 0.102 percent, but iguana numbers are definitely going down. At an annual meeting of the MTSBU advisory committee for Gasparilla Island’s street lighting and iguana control Friday, April 1, Lee County MSTBU Coordinator Melissa Geissler told the Board they had to raise […]

Woman’s Club announces more than $649,600 in donations this year

At their Annual Meeting held on Monday April 4, The Boca Grande Woman’s Club announced that the grand total of their 2016 community grants and scholarships is $649,600.  The membership approved community grants totaling $260,600 for 20 local nonprofit organizations, which included assistance in funding the restoration of the 1927 Range Light, support for professional […]

PROFILE: Garry Carley

■ BY SUSAN ERWIN    Boca Grande part-time resident Garry Carley is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and while he enjoys the peaceful island life here, he also has a sincere passion for the revitalization of his hometown. He currently serves as Chairman of Detroit Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. Carley met his wife, Nancy, while […]