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Community History

September 18, 2026

This date in the Boca Beacon: Tropical Storm Gabrielle

FIVE YEARS AGO Island Chef Trish McIlroy won the NPC Ironman Masters 40+ division bodybuilding competition. TEN YEARS AGO Long-time island resident Zelma Otto celebrated her 90th birthday w…

Your Community History

History: Community: ‘The Good Old Days,’ then and now

September 10, 2026

BY JAMES J. BLAHA BOCA GRANDE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Pictured Above, Joe Spadaro. BGHS Archives “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together…

Business & Real Estate: New house plans on 10th; flooded house delisted

September 10, 2026

Above, rendering for the new house on 10th Street that would replace the current house, which was delisted as historic due to hurricane damage this…

This date in the Boca Beacon: 6.0 earthquake off shore

September 10, 2026

FIVE YEARS AGO Several people were spearfishing at the end of Belcher Road and were confronted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Comm…

This date in the Boca Beacon: Annual Labor Day Picnic

September 3, 2026

FIVE YEARS AGO Lee County School Board mandated masks for all schools including The Island School. The mandate would be revisited in 30 days…

Whidden’s Marina, 100 years

August 27, 2026

On a handshake Sam Whidden built his marina and a family, about a hundred years ago this year. So, the Boca Beacon is looking back over this icon of…

Childhood on the docks; Jumping off the shrimp boat

August 27, 2026

Above, playing the bait shrimp with Sammy Jay Steyer. BY NIC MOSTYN Editor’s Note: In 2012, Nicholas Mostyn wrote this essay for the Beacon…

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