News
OPINION: THE GICIA ON PARKING
May 8, 2025
Plan an appropriate tool to find balance while managing growth
BY THE GICIA
The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association has been working to preserve island life since 1971…
EcoWatch: Celebration of Mother’s Day & Be Kind to Animals month
May 8, 2025
“There is no difference between the worry of a human mother and an animal mother for their offspring. A mother’s love does not derive from the intellect but from the emotions, in animals just as in…
SW Florida Fishing: Green at the tip!
May 8, 2025
BY CAPT. WILL WATERHOUSE
It feels like summer here in Boca Grande and the tarpon have been biting! Lots of tarpon have been caught around Little Gasparilla Island, Gasparilla Island, Cayo Costa a…
Gasparilla Island Parking Ordinance item for Lee County Commissioner meeting May 6
May 5, 2025
Today, the Lee County Board of County Commissioner’s official agenda was updated as of May 5, at 2:15 p.m. to include a new item related to Gasparilla Island. It just reads “Gasparilla Island Parkin…
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sok Nam Park
May 2, 2025
From Korea to a Boca Grande garden
An interesting life is rarely a carefree life. It is in overcoming obstacles that much of the fulfilling and exciting twists and turns of life take place. Sok N…
Patchwork of Policies: How Florida beach towns manage public access
May 2, 2025
BY MARCY SHORTUSE
With a considerable population increase in Florida in the last five years, more and more Florida beach towns are being forced to consider what their options are as far as parkin…
Emails shed light on parking and beach access, as policy develops
May 2, 2025
Currently, the Boca Beacon is waiting on a public records request from Lee County to get a better understanding of what is happening with a proposed parking ordinance. This week, we were made aware…
Art festival begins tarpon season of events on May 13
May 1, 2025
Excitement is brewing as anglers and artists prepare for the 2025 “World’s Richest” Tarpon Tournament and the Annual Boca Grande Tarpon Festival May 13 to 16 in downtown Boca Grande.
The Tarpon…
Irrigation overuse results in low island water pressure
May 1, 2025
Irrigation overuse last weekend resulted in a low pressure for water across the island.
“We had about 30 percent chance of running out of water,” said Ron Bolton, executive director of Gasparilla…
O’Bannon on famed fishing podcast
May 1, 2025
Capt. Phil O’Bannon appeared this week on the Mill House podcast. The sporting show podcast is led by Andy Mill, an athlete, broadcaster and author. Mill, an Olympic skier, is the author of “A Passi…