A chronology of the year 2024 in the Boca Beacon

Breaking News, Featured News, News, Uncategorized

December 27, 2024

By Anna Ridilla

Editor’s Note: This is a chronology of many of the news events during 2024 by the Boca Beacon.

January: New sheriff in town

The year kicked off with the Auxiliary Emergency Radio Communications System, or AUX-COMM system going live for the first time. The system was successfully tested by members of the Island EOC Emergency Communications & Interoperability Working Group.

Lt. Michael Sawicki replaced Capt. Jeff Corkhill as the official Island Residential Deputy for Lee County. Cork-hill had served since 2010. Despite all the activity and visitors on Gasparilla Island for New Year’s Eve weekend, the celebration of the new year was remarkably quiet in terms of accidents and injuries. Accidents included a 911 call for a bike injury, a flipped golf cart and a kayak that flipped and took on water.

The Boca Beacon continued to receive a number of complaints about missing packages and returned mail at the Boca Grande Post Office. Meanwhile, a debate over pickleball versus tennis at Wheeler Road dominated island conversation. Island resident Nancy Leckerling attended a Lee County Board of Commissioners meeting to speak about the proposed project at Wheeler Road Community Park, asking for two tennis courts to be included in the renovation instead of just one. The project involved construction of four pickle ball courts, leaving only one tennis court.

The Royal Palm Players wrapped up their current show, “Our Town.” Some of the local favorites in the Thornton Wilder play included Gordon Allen, William Hahn, Ann Fletcher, Boots Tolsdorf and Jeff Lehrian. RPP also hosted its Sponsor Appreciation Cocktail Party at the Boca Bay Powerhouse. Dorothy “Doro” Bush Koch spoke at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church about mindfulness and gratitude.

For sports, The Coral Creek Golf Club held its National Gold Championship Tournament, The Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic kicked off with Open Mixed Doubles at Boca Bay Pass Club and the First Annual Lemon Drop Ladies Invitational tournament was held at Lemon Bay Golf Club.

In other news:

The Croquet Club at the Gasparilla Inn added ten new, world-class mallets from New Zealand to its stock.
The Belfry bell was repaired at the Amory chapel.
The Bowen Construction building that also houses tenant Newlin’s Mainely Gourmet, 446 4th Street, was approved as a contributing building to the historic district.
Lighthouse United Methodist Church installed a new digital organ.
New staff writer, Anna Ridilla, joined the Boca Beacon.
St. Andrews Episcopal Church rededicated their Memorial Garden, including a new wall of remembrance where those whose ashes were already interred were named.
The Gasparilla Island Water Association elected three new directors: Ashley Scott, Jack Hollis and Dennis Johnston.
Roof work began at the Community Center and The Island School.
Englewood Young Life held its annual gala at The Beach Club.

February: Pickleball/post office

Pickleball versus tennis continued to be a debated topic as players gathered at the Wheeler Road tennis courts to discuss the future of the space. Also in sports, The Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic continued, and the First Annual Play for P.I.N.K was held at Coral Creek Golf Club.

Boca Grande citizens came together for a meeting at the Community Center on the situation with the U.S. Postal Service in Boca Grande. The meeting was facilitated by a postal employee, but other citizens came out to the afternoon meeting to share stories, ideas and complaints.

The Boca Grande Fire Department’s Auxiliary Emergency Communications project, AUXCOMM, entered its second phase – the implementation of greatly improved radio communications for many island entities. In February, the Boca Grande Fire Department responded to a call at Gasparilla Outfitters using new technology. The procedure saved customer Frank Ruby, who had gone into cardiac arrest while in the store.

The Boca Grande Film Festival ran from Feb. 21-23, with a full lineup of films and conversation. General Partner and Vice Chairperson of the New York Yankees and Boca Grande homeowner Jennifer “Jenny” Steinbrenner Swindal attended the screening of “It Ain’t Over” about legendary catcher Yogi Berra.

Author and columnist Dave Barry spoke on behalf of the Fust Library Foundation, and the annual Valentine’s Day Art Show was held at the art center. The Boca Grande Art Center also held its Fishing in Paradise fish art show at the Community House and the Art on Park festival filled downtown with local vendors.

Just off island, Gasparilla Mobile Estates residents were offered a 10 percent settlement amid the upcoming bankruptcy case for the park which is located just to the west of Gasparilla Marina in Placida.

In other news:

History Bytes topics included Mary Ellen Parkinson and Grandma Effie.
Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum celebrated their grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Former Secretary of Transportation Sam Skinner spoke with a gathering of men at breakfast about the need for men to have fathers and role models.
Royal Palm Players put on the physical comedy, “Suite Surrender,” by playwright Michael McKeever.
Smart Studio returned with a shop at 321 Park Ave. in the Old Theatre Building. Founder Wini Smart’s granddaughter Rebecca took charge.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority elected former vice chairman, Drew Tucker, as chairman. George Milne was elected vice chair.
The wheelchair-accessible beach access point at 5th Street, damaged during recent hurricanes, remained closed.
The Lee County Board of Commissioners authorized the Island School to add 10 students to its August 2024 capacity.
AT&T installed its antennas on the Boca Grande cell tower.

March: New Iguana hunter

A new vendor was named for iguana removal on the Lee County side of Gasparilla Island. Brian Ambrose from Blue Iguana Pest Control Inc., which has been around for 15 years, took over for former hunter, George Cera, who was named as the secondary vendor. In other wildlife news, a great white shark named Penny that was tagged at 522 pounds as a juvenile, pinged about 50 miles off the coast of Gasparilla Island.

As a result of a county-wide purchase of bodycams from Motorola, Lee County deputies on Gasparilla Island began wearing body cams.

The Boca Grande Fire Department received $148,000 from the Island Disaster Fund for the Auxiliary Emergency Communications System project, or AUXCOMM. Also in March, residents, retailers and fire first responders came out for the first ever Putting Around Boca putt-putt tourney.

The pickleball/tennis debate came to a head after several weeks of meetings and planning, Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane, on behalf of the county, met with several island tennis advocates, agreeing to keep the two tennis courts on Wheeler Road. A 5K race, set for St. Patrick’s Day on Gasparilla Island and sponsored by the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce, was canceled due to logistics and permitting issues.

Suncoast Humane Society put on a Dogs for Dogs event to raise funds for the last 25 percent of its capital campaign for their new campus. The Green Flash performed at the fundraiser which was held on 7th Street.

The Boca Grande Preschool Beach Ball fundraising event was held at the Gasparilla Inn Beach Club. Later in the month, they completed construction on a brand-new playground.

Presidential primaries were held across the country, but at the Boca Grande precinct, Donald Trump beat non-candidate Nikki Haley by four votes. Even though Trump had sealed the Republican nomination, 30 voters came out on Tuesday.

In other news:

Palm Island’s Rum Bay held a grand reopening.
Royal Palm Player’s “The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” opened.
Lighthouse United Methodist Church women and helpers worked the Boca Grande Strawberry Festival, held on the grounds of the Boca Grande Community Center.
The Boca Grande Camera Club held their annual Art of Photography Show at the Boca Grande Art Center.
The Boca Grande Woman’s club held their 75th anniversary, in conjunction with the annual Bike Parade and Spring Fair.
Barrier Island Parks Society hosted the Red Tide Forum with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. Panelists at the annual forum shared that the latest word on red tide could be turmeric.
Nick Marchesano, executive chef at The Gasparilla Inn, was honored as one of the Club Resort Chef’s 40 under 40.
The Baptist Church carillon came back, playing chimes and music at noon and 5 p.m. The parsonage restoration was completed.
The Boca Grande Art Center put on its Spring Art Show ‘Flower Power.’
A power line came down at Belcher Road. No one was hurt, and power was restored to the South end of the Island after the incident.
Barrier Island Parks Society’s Green Gala was held at the Boca Bay Pass Club.
Lemon Bay Golf Club held its second annual Better Shot Foundation fundraiser with over $300,000 raised for the program and scholarships.

April: Eldred’s listed

Easter festivities began with the sunrise service, held at Port Boca Grande Lighthouse. More than 300 people gathered as the Rev. Michelle Robertshaw, the Rev. Daphne Johnson and Fr. Anthony Hewitt led the worship service.

The Boca Grande Egg Hunt was hosted by Lee County Parks & Rec. and sponsored by Friends of Boca Grande. It was a race to find the golden eggs. Good Friday’s Stations of the Cross began at Our Lady of Mercy and took the route through the village, commemorating the 14 stations which depict moments on the journey of Jesus to Calvary.

The Placida marina Eldred’s was listed for sale with the national brokerage firm Avison Young. While there was not a price listed, the property was predicted to trade well in the 40 millions based on interest thus far.

Charlotte County elected officials and representatives gathered at the community center for a townhall meeting to discuss topics of concern submitted by Gasparilla Island citizens and organizations. The main topic of concern was a lack of mutual aid between Charlotte and Lee counties emergency response services.

Captains for Clean Water held a gathering at the Eagle Grille to discuss its work in helping protect the state’s water resources. Special guests included Captains Daniel Andrews and Chris Wittman, along with other members of the organization, including Chandler Chase, Captain Doug Stewart, Chandler Converse and Jim “Hooter” Hoyt.

Churches along Gilchrist Avenue sent a letter to Lee County officials reiterating their support for continuing to allow daytime parking in the median of Gilchrist Avenue. The formal letter came in response to a meeting of the three churches.

In other news:

The demolition at 161/181 Gilchrist for a new house began.
The 30th Annual Hank Wright Golf Tournament benefiting the Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation was held at the Lemon Bay Golf Club.
The Boca Beacon won 15 awards for its coverage in 2023 from the Florida Press Association.
The Boca Grande Woman’s Club Dog Show was a big success with 42 participants and almost 300 attendees.
Two more 5G Verizon small cell towers were erected on Gasparilla Island.
Charlotte County staff posted a new seabird nesting colony in front of SeaWatch, off Gulf Shores Drive.
Tarpon began showing up in the passes and in the harbor.

May: Hilarium

Tarpon fishing was in full swing with the first tournaments of the season. Capt. Jesse Craddock and his team of lady anglers on the Outcast won the Chamber of Commerce Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament. The winner the 2024 World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament with 13 tarpon was Hey, Moma! with a $39,000 prize. Brecken Stinnett and the crew of Big Mouth won the 2024 Red Gill Tarpon Tournament with five releases.

At the Gasparilla Inn & Club, Jon Reecher, who was general manager for 11 years, announced his retirement. Brent Cross, the assistant general manager of the Inn, was named its new president and general manager.

The Hilarium yacht received a warm welcome as she pulled into the Boca Grande Marina after spending the season away for repairs. The surprise visit of one of the last two remaining Navy PT boats to Gasparilla Island also caused a stir on its visit through.

Italiano Insurance Services, Inc. sold to national firm, Assured Partners. Nat Italiano said that his directions from the new owners were to “treat it like you still own the agency” when making decisions.

Over Memorial Day weekend on island in Lee County, there were four traffic citations, 16 traffic warnings, 36 parking warnings, 24 parking citations, six boating warnings and two felony arrests with underage alcohol.

In other news:

The Keylime Bistro and Loose Caboose Ice Cream Shoppe were temporarily closed by the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation for several high priority violations.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority approved allowing Lee County to install a license tag reader on the bridge, also noting a 19 percent increase in traffic in the first half of the fiscal year.
A driver towing an oversized boat hit and broke the electronic toll gate sign on the middle toll lane of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority Plaza.
A small fire on the Boca Grande Causeway’s center island was the road’s second land fire in a year.
The Boca Grande Quarantine House, the oldest house on Gasparilla Island, went on the market for the first time in its history.
Over 60 residents came to the Boca Grande Community Center to hear an update on proposed improvements to the center. The event was part of the Renaissance Fund Campaign, a $15 million effort led by the Friends of Boca Grande to update the community center.
The Boca Grande Fire Department held a ceremony to promote Patrick O’Connor, Jason Hutchinson and Dustin Rossow to lieutenants.
First Baptist Church of Boca Grande held their first service in their sanctuary since Hurricane Ian.
Eight fifth grade Island School students graduated at the Gasparilla Inn Beach Club followed by the traditional golf cart parade.

June: Parking issues

June was a busy month for tarpon tournaments. At the Howl At The Moon Tarpon Tournament, 35 tarpon were released in three hours of fishing and 19 boats enjoyed the fun. First Place was Capt. CJ Soderquist’s team on the “Last Call.” The Gasparilla Island Kids Classic Tarpon Tournament had a field of 22 boats with a total of 12 tarpon caught. The first-place team caught three tarpon, while the second-place team caught two tarpon. Ladies Howl at the moon finished out the tarpon tournament season.

Parking once again became a big conversation on island when in a surprise commissioner’s item, the Lee County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted for Commissioner and Vice Chairman Kevin Ruane to work with County staff to develop a proposed parking plan for the Lee County portion of Gasparilla Island. In response to their dissatisfaction with the direction things were headed, five members of the Boca Grande Parking Advisory Panel resigned from their positions.

Downtown, the Boca Grande Community Center improvement plan moved forward as the development agreement between Lee County and Friends of Boca Grande was unanimously approved by the Lee County Board of Commissioners. The GICIA began two bike path improvement projects to repair the steep edges of the paved path and re-landscape the bike path between 5th and 7th Streets.

In other news:

Mrs. Kristen Maitland-Shank was selected to serve as the new third-grade teacher for The Island School.
Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater aircrew rescued a child and seven adults, Saturday June 1, after their 28-foot boat capsized 36 miles west of Boca Grande. No injuries were reported.
The Boca Grande Fire Department rescued an injured man who had been struck by a boat propeller.
Charlotte County received a preliminary report on the fate of the Placida Bunkhouse, a 1907 cottage used to house the railroad workers of the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railroad.
The Boca Grande Preschool held its graduation with 12 preschoolers graduated to kindergarten.
Lee County hired Certified Arborist Rick Joyce for a survey of the health of the Banyan Street trees.

July: Record parade

This year’s July 4th golf cart parade and celebration brought people together from far and wide. All decked out in red, white and blue, spectators of all ages and golf carts filled with joyful participants celebrated Independence Day with pride. This year’s parade seemed to be the biggest yet as it was estimated that 2,000 participated.

The Boca Beacon used the Freedom of Information Act to request all internal communication regarding Boca Grande and parking from Lee County. In July, Beacon staff sifted through the extensive documentation, releasing notable parking information on a week-by-week basis. While the county had not publicly released any firm details about parking plans for Boca Grande, the county administration had reviewed parking signage and equipment for the island. The information was shared with a county vendor and was seen at multiple staff levels. A draft code change circulated in May was also published that proposed a “maximum duration of two hours” for metered parking in Boca Grande. Letters from the community continued to pour in all month about parking on island. A dozen local retailers and officials met at the Community Center to discuss possible parking restrictions in Boca Grande. Several issues were discussed, including staff, diagonal and private parking. No solutions were reached.

In the first sinking in recent years, a power boat sank just off the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority swing bridge from a reported collision. Local EMS released a “watercraft in distress” and “collision” bulletin that reported a “sinking vessel, now completely submerged, one subject still in water, multiple children reported to have been on board, four to five people, unknown how many are children, one confirmed adult still reported in the water.” All five people were picked up and no injuries were reported.

In other news:

Mosquito season started with a bang after several downpours moved through Southwest Florida. The rain spanned county-wide, which expanded habitats wider across Lee County, prompting Lee County Mosquito Control to treat habitats.
Renovation and expansion of the Boca Grande Community Center was unanimously approved by the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board.
A giant seven-inch poison cane toad was caught and bagged in the alley behind the Boca Beacon office.
A Lee County Sheriff deputy shut down a noisy party boat anchored off the Gasparilla Island State Park beaches over the Fourth of July weekend.
Construction on a new crosswalk at the Range Light started.
Lee County was notified that FEMA would maintain unincorporated Lee County’s CRS rating of 5 and National Flood Insurance Program policyholder discounts.

August: Hurricane Debby, South Beach

On August 5, Hurricane Debby brought flooding and debris to the island as it was upgraded from a tropical storm classification to hurricane. Charlotte County closed the Boca Grande Fishing Pier due to storm damage from Debby.

There was also a sailboat lodged off the end of the pier, where the old railroad trestles used to reside.

After the storm, South Beach Bar & Grille at last reopened in their rebuilt location with two “soft opening” private parties before a full opening to the public. After nearly two years, Capt. Mike Bigler purchased a new shrimping boat with a slight rebrand from the original. Capt. C.J. and Capt. Bigler had brought fresh shrimp to Whidden’s since 1989. Capt. C.J. was catching shrimp from December 2005 until Hurricane Ian in September 2022.

The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board approved two projects, including an addition to a house at 235 Banyan St., and a renovation to the 3rd Street Bistro, at 310 East Railroad Ave. Over on Shore Lane, a beachfront estate sold for $21 million, marking one of the highest property sales in the area.

Lee County Parks & Recreation released concept plans for changes and additions to Wheeler Road Community Park, including pickleball courts. Lee County’s initial plan was to add three pickleball courts, a restroom building near the pickleball courts and two shade structures, one near the tennis courts and another near the pickleball.

In other news:

At the Florida Press Association’s annual meeting, the Boca Beacon won 15 awards in the weekly paper category.
Two horses were on the beach north of 17th Street. Lee County Ordinance 20-27 prohibits equestrian riding in county parks except in areas specifically designated for such activity or in the case of special events.
A report on the health of the Banyan Street banyan trees showed that they had strongly recovered from recent hurricanes and a moth attack in the spring.
The 2024 Primary Elections were held with two Lee County Board of Commissioners candidates, as well as two Charlotte County candidates.
The Island School changed the procedure for pick-up and drop-off during Community Center construction. During pick-up, the car line on First Street was backed up to Gilchrist Avenue.
Restoration plans and estimated costs for the Placida Bunkhouse were released from the Charlotte County consultant, including drawings of the restoration as well as general recommendations.

September: Calm between storms

A half-million gallons of rainy sewage leaked onto the Gasparilla Island Water Authority plant grounds after Hurricane Debby. It did not go into the Bayou or Cross Island Canal, nor did it hit the golf course or GIWA retention pond. To deal with the spill, the GIWA staff used deactivated lime to disinfect the area and manually controlled the lift stations to reduce the flows to the plant.

Also in September, contractors announced the restoration of the Sharp ‘Hacienda’ compound. The privately owned house, built by Hugh Rodney Sharp (1880-1968), occupies the entrance to the town of Boca Grande.

At press time for the last newspaper of September, the island was waiting for the outer bands of Hurricane Helene. On September 26, Helene made landfall in Florida. Gasparilla Road was flooded for two days with stranded vehicles and even formed an island. Concrete walls crumbled and sidewalks shifted. When the water receded, sand filled the streets.

In other news:

Pastor Gary Beatty announced his retirement from the First Baptist Church.
Work continued on the tile roof of the Boca Grande Community Center, which was damaged by Hurricane Ian.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved four projects including two Tesla solar projects.
The Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority has installed six new bike signs at each bridge approach, informing bikers that they may use the full main lane to cross the causeway.
Verizon and other contractors were on island for the increased 5G service promised by the carrier.

October: Milton destruction

After the impact of Hurricane Helene, the Boca Grande Disaster Committee restarted the Island Disaster Fund to help businesses in the community. There was significant damage to The Gasparilla Inn during Hurricane Helene and all reservations and events through Oct. 30 were canceled.

Less than two weeks later, on Wednesday, Oct. 9, Hurricane Milton swept through the island leaving lots of debris in its wake. Many trees were uprooted across the island and side roads were washed out and impassable. There was an upside-down car on 7th Street and a 1,000-gallon LP tank was washed across the bike path and was leaking gas. Milton undermined the roadway of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, including the roadbed and outbuildings. Milton tore out major sections of Gasparilla Island’s water and sewer system. Pipes that needed reconstruction include the water main to the island and uncounted locations where streets washed out, exposing water and sewer pipes. Comfort stations were set up on island with bathrooms, showers, laundry and water. The vast majority of island businesses and institutions suffered water damage.

As the disaster fund reached $1.5 million, an arrest was made of a suspect in a theft case from Scarpa’s Coastal restaurant, which was missing over $100,000 in funds from the last year.

In other news:

The Island School moved to a temporary location at Fellowship Church in Rotonda.
Post office services were moved off island to the Placida building.
In-person voting at Precinct 122, which typically is held at the Boca Grande Community Center was moved to the Lighthouse United Methodist Church for the Nov. 5 General Election.
Florida Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly toured Gasparilla Island on Tuesday, Oct. 15, to meet with small business owners affected by the recent hurricanes.
Friends of Boca Grande postponed all programming through December.

November: Recovery

November was a month of recovery and resilience for the island. Florida State Parks reopened three parking areas for Gasparilla Island State Park and the “Beaches Closed” electronic signage at the Boca Grande Causeway toll was removed. Brent Benson donated his hurricane check and landscape work to the Boca Grande Fire Department. A crew from Hazeltine Nurseries donated and installed a Christmas tree across the street from Hudson’s Grocery, to replace the tree that was killed by the duo hurricanes Helene and Milton.

There was a lot to be thankful for as across the island, sand deposited inland was returned back to the beach and the disaster fund exceeded its $3 million goal and managers of the fund began distributing checks to businesses, which started to reopen one by one.

The island continued to have an issue with the dumping of hurricane debris, even as crews from the disaster recovery firm Crowder Gulf, contracted by Lee County, continued to pick up refuse on island by the ton, daily.

In other news:

Over 600 dead golf carts were removed from the area after the storms.
Three golf carts were reported stolen on Gasparilla Island in wake of Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
Red tide levels fluctuated throughout the month with a peak “medium” level of the algae.
Jay and Cookie Feinberg won a Final Detail Site Plan approval for their Boca Grande Peninsula Resort & Marina project in Placida. The property is the old Gasparilla Fishery.
Donald Trump won the island presidential vote in a margin paralleling the Florida ratio.
Students returned to The Island School building on Monday, Nov. 11.
The Charlotte County Board of Commissioners addressed the restoration and site selection for the historic Placida Bunkhouse, expressing their support.
Lee County’s iguana-removal vendor for Boca Grande began a winter hiatus on Friday, Nov. 15, lasting until Feb. 15.
The Anchor Inn, after a full renovation this fall, reopened to guests.
Demolition of the Boca Grande Health Clinic Annex building, located at 280 Park Ave., began on Nov. 25.

December: Coming together

December brought with it some much needed holiday festivities. The Christmas Walk was held on the first Saturday of December with a smaller crowd than usual; however, many showed up to join in the festivities, including Santa and his elves who drove through town on a firetruck.

This year, the lighting of the community Christmas Tree was held in front of The Gasparilla Inn. The ceremony, which included readings and appearances by all four of the island clergy, included lighting of the tree by Jeanie and Bayne Stevenson, who traditionally host the ceremony at the railroad station. Cookies and programs provided by the Boca Grande Woman’s Club; carols were led by Julia Pierce.

Florida Power and Light decorated the Boca Grande Fire Department as part of their Holiday Hero Lighting Program and the Boca Grande Island Disaster Fund, with over $3.4 million in collected donations, dispersed or reserved 97 percent of those donations for island non-profits and businesses.

Lee County contractors began the process of repairing roads across Gasparilla Island from recent hurricanes. While there was no official date for the Boca Grande Post Office reopening, building owner Mark Spurgeon began working with the maintenance and building section of the United States Postal Service in Denver.

In other news:

The annual lighting of the lighthouse was moved to the Range Light because of repairs at Port Boca Grande.
Friends of Boca Grande began operating out of old marine containers for offices, as they waited for repairs to the Boca Grande Community Center.
Glenn Scarpa of Scarpa’s Coastal was interviewed by Bloomberg Wall Street Week for a feature on insurance costs in Florida and across the United States.