Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
A new update from the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority shows that vehicle traffic on the Boca Grande Causeway can expect delays at various times during the next few months. Kathy Banson-Verrico, GIBA’s executive director, said the delays will be to accommodate material deliveries and construction activities. Kathy said the new tender house roof, windows, air […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News, Profiles.
BY JACK SHORT Gene Glidden is soft-spoken, ruddy-cheeked man whose cheerful demeanor belies the ruthlessness of the man who sits atop a commercial and residential painting empire. Just kidding. But he is absolutely cheerful, if a little quiet, and he built a business out of nothing that now reaches into several counties. In 40 years, […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
The Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce office has moved into a new location, but will remain closed until October 1. The Chamber’s new location will be on Park Avenue adjacent to the Pink Pony (a.k.a. Dolphin Cove). Step into the courtyard on the south side of the building and you will see the new […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Opinion.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE So this week we had a lesson in social media. The tale of Sam Samsonov, “our Sam,” as we call him, went viral worldwide. The story of a man who collected tolls for the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority for almost 30 years was picked up and made it into the worldwide media […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE Sam Samsonov and his wife of 53 years, Margaret, sat by the pool at their Grove City home on Monday afternoon, July 20 in good spirits. They sat with a folder full of emails and good wishes people from all over the country have sent them, and literally breathless with the knowledge […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY JACK SHORT In spite of at least a year of discovery and preparation for a hearing between Charlotte County and certain property owners, and local conservationists, all parties agreed to terms that prevented a hearing. Representatives of some parties seemed to consider the rescission of objectionable amendments more of a temporary obstacle, however. On […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
On Saturday, July 11 at approximately 8 p.m., the Boca Grande Fire Department responded to a report of a boat that had run into the mangroves on Boca Grande Bayou.When firefighters arrived, by water and by land, they found a boat with three people onboard set far back into the mangroves. They reported they were […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Legal, News.
Lee and Charlotte counties have each formally accepted settlements for their claims against BP, related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, at a fraction of the amounts for which they filed claims.In recent weeks, several nearby governments including Collier and Sarasota Counties also accepted sums for economic losses incurred in the wake of that 2010 […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
When you go to the beach for the day, it’s a long haul between the sand and the parking lot. Sometimes, in the fray, an item will escape your grasp, or you’ll look back and see a piece of garbage laying on the beach. Do you go back? It may seem sometimes like one […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Edward Cruz, former CEO of E.E. Cruz and Company, Inc., philanthropist and entrepreneur, passed away on Tuesday, July 14 at his home in Bay Head, New Jersey with his family by his side. After treatment for lymphoma in 2001, Mr. Cruz enjoyed 13 years in remission, during which he sold his business and became an […]