Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The year 2017 was relatively quiet on the island, shy of Hurricane Irma, a new look for the Range Light and new preserve land at the Causeway thanks to the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association. We mourned the passing of several beloved island faces, including Creighton Sherman, Dee Wheeler, Doris Bishop and […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The feature profile stories in the Boca Beacon add a personal touch to the newspaper each week. Here are a few quotes from some of the prominent interviews that took place in 2017. “Everyone on the island is so nice and friendly; it’s almost like having another family. I feel fortunate to be able to work in Boca Grande […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: This January, The Gasparilla Inn – a landmark destination on Florida’s Gulf Coast – will welcome guests for a weekend filled with golf, yoga, spa services and much more – all part of its 2018 Golf and Yoga Wellness Retreat. The thoughtfully designed weekend features guest instructor Sage Johnson, PGA, founder of […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, Letters to the Editor, News, Opinion.
To the Editor: The Charlotte County Airport Authority announced the total passenger count for the twelve months ending Nov. 30, 2017 is 1,368,754. The Punta Gorda Airport passenger count for November 2017 was 110,097. This is a 14.46 percent increase in passenger traffic from November 2016, when there were 96,188 passengers. In November, there were […]
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ STAFF REPORT The Boca Grande Health Clinic is pleased to announce that Dr. Raymond James will be joining its medical staff in March of 2018, where he will soon be a full-time physician on staff. Dr. James comes to the island from Englewood Community Hospital where he has served as the Director of Emergency Medicine […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN – Golf Pro Ken Raynor has had a long established personal friendship with former President George H. W. Bush, prior to when he assumed presidency of the United States in 1981. The Coral Creek Club PGA Head Golf Professional met Bush at Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunkport, Maine 38 years ago […]
Written by Boca Grande Health Clinic on . Posted in Health & Wellness.
■ BY DR LAUREN HANA The Clinic saw its first test positive case of Influenza A this week,so this is a good time to review some “flu facts.” The influenza virus, “the flu,” causes a respiratory illness that can be severe in those younger than 2, over 65, pregnant women and those with other underlying […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association volunteer and Board member Melissa Csank said an unusual number of dead sea turtles have washed up on the beaches of Gasparilla Island recently. “In less than three weeks, citizens on the beach have reported four separate deceased turtles, from the Range Light to the bridge at the […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Bobbie Marquis ran a successful consulting business serving clients in Boca Grande and in the Englewood area for years, and now she’s working on the island full time as the executive director for the Johann Fust Library Foundation. She officially accepted her new title in November, but she’s been serving as the interim […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Obituaries.
Mike Gary, 92, of Port Charlotte died Thursday, Dec. 14 at Fawcett Memorial Hospital, Port Charlotte. He was born August 10, 1925 in Barbour County, Alabama to the late W.I. ”Bud” and Lillie Ora (Creel) Gary. Mike was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, serving until the war’s end. When he returned home […]