Written by Alici Ouellette on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
To kick off the new year the Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Magazine January/February edition is out with new feature stories, recipes, shopping and social pages. Features include “Betty Barndollar’s Boca Grande” a piece emphasizing the charm and people of the island of Boca Grande; “In the Company of Butterflies: Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve” an informative […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
At top, Adam O’Farrill. Photos submitted The Hermitage Artist Retreat has announced new programs to begin 2026, including public events featuring nationally recognized theater and music artists. Newly announced events include an exploration of democracy by Hermitage Fellow Roger Q. Mason at Venice Theatre on Jan. 12 and a musical performance featuring returning Hermitage Fellow […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
BY ELAINE SKYPALA, ROYAL PALM PLAYERS When Agatha Christie wrote this thrilling murder mystery, she would never have guessed that The Mousetrap would become the longest-running play in history. This January, Royal Palm Players is excited to have you join a group of strangers trapped in Monkswell Manor, a snowbound country inn. If you have […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
Lee County Library System will welcome more than two dozen authors to its 27th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Fort Myers. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. readers of all ages can meet their favorite writers, hear behind-the-scenes stories and get books signed at this free, outdoor community event […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
History enthusiasts and literary lovers are in for a riveting afternoon on Tuesday, Jan. 14, as New York Times bestselling author Sonia Purnell visits the Boca Grande Community Center to deliver a speech on her latest biography, Kingmaker: Pamela Harriman’s Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue. Purnell, a British journalist and biographer known for […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
After FWC staff presented options on highly regulated black bear hunting and the public provided their comments at the August and November 2025 Commission meetings, FWC Commissioners approved final proposed amendments to bear hunting rules, which took effect during the 2025 hunting season. The new rules established Bear Hunting Zones (BHZ) within four of the […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Editorial, Uncategorized.
One can get a pulse on Florida’s mood each year by looking at Publix’s annual Christmas TV commercial. The ads premiere after Thanksgiving annually during sporting events and live on, now seemingly permanently, via the company’s YouTube channel. They follow a certain format, showing idyllic domestic scenes in a house, all interspersed with views of […]
Written by VAN HUBBARD on . Posted in Columns.
Hard to believe it’s another New Year already, but ’26 is here. We enjoyed a cooler early fall this year. Our recent winters have been milder, and cold weather is overdue. We need some mild frozen breezes to thin out the invasive species that are abundant. We don’t want hard freezes that hurt snook populations […]
Written by Angela McPhillips on . Posted in Profiles.
Maria Pardo-Thompson is rarely without yarn nearby. Over the years, her crocheted blankets, hats, loveys and small stuffed animals have ended up in ambulances, hospital nurseries, classrooms and family homes. Some are held by premature babies in neonatal intensive care units. Others are kept by firefighters and paramedics to comfort children during emergencies. After Hurricane […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
David Albert Jenkins, 84 died peacefully on December 12, 2025, watching the sun set on the Gulf of Mexico from his home in Boca Grande. His loving and supportive children, Dave and Bonnie, and his devoted wife Barbara were at his side. Dave was born on February 28, 1941, to Helen Klinger Jenkins and Joseph […]