World's Richest day one complete, Spooked Again in the Lead Friday, 24 May 2013 13:12 Day 1 of the 2013 "World's Richest" Tarpon Tournament in the books. So far, 33 tarpon caught and safely released. Read the Full Story

World's Richest, Kids Classic, Art Festival and street party schedule of events Friday, 24 May 2013 13:06
Schedule of events for the World's Richest Tarpon Tournament, Gasparilla Island Kids Classic, Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival, and street party ... Read the Full Story

Happy Graduation to Abigail, Dafne, Luke and Jake, TIS 2013! Friday, 24 May 2013 10:19 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - Four tassels were turned on Thursday, May 23, as Luke Crosser, Dafne Garcia, Abigail Turner and Jake Van Atten graduated from fifth grade and from The Island School. Prior to their commencement ceremony the four, with the help of others, did a “dramatic statues” and chant performance. Afterward, the third, fourth and fifth graders all participated in a song called “Flip Flop,” written and produced by TIS music teacher Diana Donlon. Read the Full Story

FWC releases findings in Bull Bay accident Friday, 24 May 2013 10:17 The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has completed its report on the two-boat accident in Bull Bay on April 12, and the FWC is holding both Jesse Smith and Capt. Steve Ahlers at fault. Smith, of Port Charlotte, was travelling southwest in a gray 18’ open motorboat. He turned to the south to enter a blind, narrow passage between two mangrove islands when he spotted Ahlers’ yellow boat heading in the opposite direction. Ahlers, of Boca Grande, was traveling northwest towards the same passage, with three passengers on board his 20-foot yellow boat. Read the Full Story

Art festival details for this weekend’s tarpon festival weekend Friday, 24 May 2013 10:14 The Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival has an exciting slate of 60 amazing artists in a wide variety of mediums. Organizer Carroll Swayze is excited and filled with anticipation for the event. “(We) have some amazing work this year,” she said. “The festival is near and dear to my heart because Boca Grande is home to me. The people on the island have supported me for my whole life and I am proud to be able to hand-pick a Fine Art Festival to present to the island. I have spent the past year trying to choose artists who fit the theme and the ideals of the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament of conservation, education and sportsmanship. I have world-class marine wildlife artists coming as well as some of the finest Florida landscape painters the state has to offer. I hope that everyone will come out, enjoy the festival and meet the artists who work so hard to create their beautiful original artwork.” Read the Full Story

Grant says ‘good-bye’, Kaplans say hello to island Friday, 24 May 2013 10:12 BY LIZA STROUT - Serendipity brought Grant Quirk to Gill’s Grocery, and a decade later it led his successors, the Kaplans, to the store.
Ten years ago, Grant Quirk was discussing the end of his clamming business with a friend. The one-two punch of red tide and “rolling moss” had ruined his clam beds, and he was looking for something new to do. Read the Full Story

Boca Grande, Sweet Pea highlighted in June Vogue magazine shoot Friday, 24 May 2013 10:09 Boca Grande has been the location for an awful lot of photo shoots, so many we usually don’t report on them. But, a couple of months ago a very high-profile fashion magazine – Vogue, to be exact – turned up in town with an interesting model. Her name is Dree Hemingway, and she is the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway. Read the Full Story

FWC break-away jig study refuted by originating scientist Friday, 17 May 2013 10:06 BY MARCY SHORTUSE - In the summer of 2004 Dr. Justin Grubich picked up the phone to take a call from a woman who said she was with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The woman, Kathy Guindon, talked with Justin for about 30 minutes foul-hooking tarpon, and he was asked to provide expert witness testimony on how tarpon feed. He didn’t give the conversation much thought. Read the Full Story

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World's Richest day one complete, Spooked Again in the Lead
Day 1 of the 2013 "World's Richest" Tarpon Tournament in the books. So far, 33 tarpon caught and safely...
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Poet Billy Collins to speak at Fust this fall

01 June 2012 Marcy Shortuse

BY ALICE GORMAN - Amazing and wonderful things keep happening in Boca Grande. The Johann Fust Community Library has announced that a special presentation will be made by former Poet Laureate, Billy Collins, in Boca Grande on November 15.

This event is to be held at the auditorium of the Community Center, with a reception at a special home in Boca Grande to follow is made possible by a generous grant from the Park Foundation and Northern Trust. It will serve as the kickoff of a community capital campaign to raise the funding necessary for the renovation project to preserve the library and to assure its future. Seating will be limited. Tickets will be available in the fall of 2012.

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Obituary: George Richard “Dick” Wetmiller

01 June 2012 Marcy Shortuse

George Richard “Dick” Wetmiller, a friend to many in Boca Grande, passed away on Thursday, May 17, 2012.

He was born on March 16, 1925, in Berlin, PA. He was the son of George H. and Elfreda M. Wetmiller. He grew up in Berlin, graduating from high school in 1943.

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Letter to the Editor: A big ‘thank you’ to Highwayman Robert Lewis

01 June 2012 Marcy Shortuse

To the Editor:

A big ‘thank you’ to Robert L. Lewis, one of the last original Highwaymen painters for his amazing and inspirational demonstration at The Antique Boutique.

What a blessing it was to have him grace us with his amazing artistic talent during Tarpon Festival Weekend, May 19 and 20.

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Letter to the Editor: Tuition help has given one island employee a dream come true

01 June 2012 Marcy Shortuse

To the Editor:

I would like to thank the Boca Grande Woman’s Club for believing in me and allowing me to do something that I’ve always dreamed of ... obtain a college degree.

The generous scholorship they have awarded me will help me obtain my degree in Health Information Management at Southwest Florida College. For their help with my tuition I am sincerely grateful.

Lori Myers
Port Charlotte

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The News - Letter to Editor

Letter to the Editor: Reader excited to see fishery stand taken by author

01 June 2012 Marcy Shortuse

To the Editor:

It was wonderful to see Randy Wayne White’s letter published in the Beacon. Most of the local people are “in the know” about snagging and have already sounded off about it.

RWW’s comments are, however, a good reminder that to the broader boating and fishing public, snagging is something they do not know nor appreciate until they are given a heads up.
Way to go, Randy.

Now let’s move on to exhausted fish (from weigh-in), disturbed pre-spawning schools and general deterioration of our fishery. Yeah, we know science and data is just now beginning to reveal how bad the PTTS really is. We need more science, but so far it all points to bad.

Again, way to go Cappy, RWW and the Boca Beacon!

Richard Hirsch
New York