Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: September 28, 2022 will go down in infamy and will be remembered for some years to come. Ian was almost a 100-year storm, or close to it. The landfall over the island was slow and gruesome, traveling only a few miles an hour and with winds 2 miles per hour shy of […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Someone asked me last week, “How are you doing?” The pat answer is “I’m fine.” I’m not really. I’m better than most. But there’s just something that’s not right, not me. I am functionally depressed. Not that I’m mad or angry at anyone or God. I’m not emotionally or psychologically damaged beyond […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
We’ve got power and internet outages, a cell phone tower lodged in our bakery, piles of debris clogging our side streets and more piles along the main road, beach accesses that are closed and a plethora of workers and trucks roaming all over the island … and the bridge is set to open to the […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
Hurricane Ian has not been able to stop our democratic processes, but it has blown them around somewhat. Since a number of polling places have been damaged or destroyed, registered voters in Lee and Charlotte counties, as well as a few other places affected by the storm, have some new and temporary guidelines and voting […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.
The Boca Grande Disaster Relief Fund handed out its first 23 checks to help businesses and organizations in Boca Grande recover from Hurricane Ian. The amount of the grants is not public information, but the results will be substantial, noted Larry Hannah, one of the Fund’s management committee members. “I got a lot of hugs […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
SUBMITTED BY CAYO COSTA PARK RANGERS As many of you know, Cayo Costa State Park is where Hurricane Ian made its initial landfall. The damage to the park was catastrophic. Along with so many in our local community, several of the park staff lost their homes, vehicles, and personal belongings. At this time the park […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News.
As home and business repairs are getting underway in the wake of Hurricane Ian, it is important to remember that docks, boathouses, and other shoreline structures require building permits for construction. According to the Lee County Community Development’s Building and Permitting office, dock-related structures include boat lifts, boat davits, boathouses, fishing piers, boardwalks and mooring […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Obituaries.
Nancy Ellen Pais of Oxford, Michigan and Boca Grande, Florida, passed away peacefully at home on October 22, 2022. Nancy was predeceased by her parents, Tom and Ellen. She is survived by her husband, Don, and her children, Dan (Meg) Joe (Sue) Amy (Mark-Hans) and Dave, as well as her brother Tom and seven grandchildren: […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Boca Beacon Back Pages, Columns, Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGO While the island was still picking up debris from Hurricane Irma, Hal McCombs was introduced as the new president of the Royal Palm Players. TEN YEARS AGO A short video called “Rich History … Priceless Future: The Tarpon of Boca Grande Pass” was created by Brooks and Sean Paxton, highlighting our fishing […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor, The Grande Rounds health lecture series sponsored by the Boca Grande Health Clinic and the Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation will kick off the season on November 1. “Welcome Back to the Island” will be the main theme of the first virtual event, which will feature Clinic Medical Director Raymond A. James, […]