A  big “congratulations!” to the Boca Beacon advertising crew. Daniel, Dizey and Julianne swept the Florida Press Association Advertising Awards and took 14 awards.

The trio were notified this week by mail that in the 37 categories they entered, they got first place for “Best Use of Clip Art,” “Best Clothing Store” and “Creative Use.”

Memories from the past of Gasparilla Island have come alive at Fugate’s in the form of a line of T-shirts.

“Long Lost Ts,” working with the Boca Grande Historical Society and Beacon art director Daniel Godwin, have launched their line of shirts featuring images from the storied past of the island.

The 2011 Christmas Food Drive is a short one, as all donations will be picked up by Wednesday, Dec. 21.

The Gasparilla Inn & Club will be opening the doors of its new bakery on Monday, Dec. 12 at 6:30 a.m. sharp. The two chefs that will be spearheading the project are punctual, precise, and believe that where pastry is concerned ... perfection is key.

The Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic will begin in a little over a month’s time, but now is the time to get your entries in for play.

Sponsored by the Boca Beacon and hosted by the Boca Bay Pass Club, the Gasparilla Inn Tennis Club and the Boca Grande Club, the tournament has become an island tradition for many players.

Red tide has been detected in low to moderate levels from Charlotte County to Lee County.

The area directly around Boca Grande has very low to no red tide levels detected as of the December 2 report, but the blooms have shifted back and forth since then.