Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in Obituaries.
Martha Jane (Brunk) Randall, who died September 3, 2024, the day after her 93rd birthday, was many things to the people who knew and loved her throughout her lifetime. She was a rural Indiana farmer’s daughter, her mother’s weekend picture show companion and sister to five older siblings. The first of her family to attend […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
Ann Combee, who has become a hurricane eyewitness of sorts in Boca Grande, lives two lives. Part of each week she is the owner of a spa for dogs in Winter Haven; the other part of the week she is basking in the sun in Boca Grande. She and her husband Bruce have been living […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
On Friday, Nov. 22, an incident was reported of a loose dog on Palm Avenue and Fourth Street, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s incident report. A dog named Leroy that lives on Damfiwill Street often escapes and walks this area, according to the call notes. Leroy’s owner stated that it was more likely a […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Real Estate.
In recent weeks there have been a number of demolition permits in process in Lee County. Recent applications listed by Lee County’s Building & Permitting Services in October and November. • DEM2024-00611: 2275 Shore Lane – Complete demolition of structure, pool. Application received. • DEM2024-00605: 2110 21st Street West – Demolition of structure and pool. […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
BY JAMES J. BLAHA, DIRECTOR, BOCA GRANDE HISTORY CENTER After many years of bringing my family to Florida for vacations, my wife and I decided to plan for our retirement, which included moving to the Sunshine State. Previously, we had rented condos but eventually invested in timeshares on Sanibel Island. After an exhaustive search for […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Across the island, sand deposited inland has gone back out on the beach. With the tides from each day, they are quickly moved up and down the island. Here, three views of the area by The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club. Nov. 6 shows the big dump of sand, bulldozer roadway and shelf created. Above, a […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Education, News.
Alternative temporary sites are being considered for the Boca Grande Preschool after suffering major damage from Hurricanes Milton and Helene, said Preschool Director Kellene Carpenter. “These last two storms really took a toll on the preschool,” Carpenter wrote in an email to the Beacon. “We are on the verge of having an approved plan for […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
The Island Disaster Fund has already given $1.8 million away to aid the quick reopening and rebuilding of businesses and organizations on Gasparilla Island. As of this week, they have raised $3.35 million from donors here, and from across the nation. “This community is blessed because a lot of people have seen that they can […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community, Featured News, News.
The new November/December edition of the Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Magazine is out with new feature stories, recipes, shopping and social pages. The cover depicts the Boca Grande Range Light, an iconic local landmark, reimagined by artist Ashley Lippincott in a bold pop-art style. Featured stories include a tour of Sarasota’s Historic Burns Court, an […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Breaking News, News.
Long list of fixes Work to repair washed out roads on Gasparilla Island will begin next week. Lee County has sent out a post-Hurricane Milton update from the Department of Transportation about emergency road repairs on local roads in Boca Grande. A pre-construction meeting was held Thursday, Nov. 21, and work will begin on Monday, […]