Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink. That old saying was very apt last week and this week, as Boca Grande residents and business owners experienced an abrupt loss of water in two separate incidents. Water service was interrupted for all but the north end of the island from the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE Busy. It’s the word that comes to mind when thinking of Jennifer Burdette Campbell, a work-at-home mom to three children who calls Boca Grande her home. She and her husband, Dan, own Campbell Mechanical, a building information and infrastructure company, and Jennifer can frequently be seen around The Island School and the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
BY MARCY SHORTUSE It doesn’t take long to get used to having something so good as the Boca Grande Farmers Market around. Residents of the island have become familiar with the Friday routine of stopping by for lunch, a cup of coffee, live music and, of course, lots of fruits, vegetables and plants. But, according […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
BY JACK SHORT Two weeks of onshore wind and pounding waves have taken their toll on sea turtle nests here on the island, but authorities do not seem alarmed, saying that changes to the beach profile and the resulting sea turtle nest losses are expected. A representative of the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association said […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News, Profiles.
BY JACK SHORT Three years ago, I wrote my first profile. The subject was a former ambassador to Morocco and an undersecretary general of the United Nations. I could barely fit his resume on any number of pages, and in trying to show how elite he was (and consequently how important I was), I produced […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: In honor of Mote Marine Lab’s 60th anniversary, Florida residents are invited to discover the wonders of Mote Aquarium for just $6 every Saturday this September. This year, Mote is celebrating 60 years of world-class marine research and education. As an independent, nonprofit Lab, Mote has succeeded through its wonderful partnerships with […]
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 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 […]