Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Did you miss our 4-Digit drive-thru days? If so, no worries. Stop by the office and check in with us, and we can accomodate. The first copy for residents in the book is free, any copy after that is $5. If you are in the 4-Digit and have picked up your copy make sure your […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
Lee County Communications Director Betsy Clayton confirmed this week that the Wheeler Road dog park construction is set to begin in June and will take five months to complete.
The park will include an area for big dogs and another for little dogs. It will also have a shade pavilion, pet and human water fountains, seating and many other amenities.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The staff of the Boca Beacon is up for nine awards in the Florida Better Weekly Newspaper contest, held by the Florida Press Association annually. Newspapers from all over the state compete in this prestigious competition.
Nominees from the Beacon who were recently announced include:
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
The Forum’s upcoming meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 7 in the Houghton Room of the Community Center.
Joan Ardrey and Davis Hammond will offer their interpretation of “Hamnet” by the acclaimed young Irish novelist Maggie O’Farrell.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
As is typical throughout human history, it was the artists, who watched, processed, responded to and recorded these landscape transformations.
Emerson and Thoreau made deep and lasting impressions on American education, and I recall devouring those books while in school; their principles influenced many of us down through the ensuing generations.
But, certainly, it has been the artists who have kept reminding all of us just how precious this gorgeous world truly is, and it is they, even now, who present us with reflections of our world in the form of paintings.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
The first-ever “dog party” at the work-in-progress dog park at the end of Wheeler Road was a big hit, according to party coordinator and dog mom Anne Ikenberry. It took place on Friday, March 25 and was met with howling approval.
“We had over 30 dogs present and some 50-plus poochie parents, family members and even just plain dog lovers present,” Ikenberry said.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
A new study recently published in the journal Tourism Economics by the University of Florida has quantified the financial shock that the 2018 bloom had to Florida’s economy, using the Airbnb market as a gauge of the broader impacts. For the study — which was funded by the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System and NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science — researchers reviewed Airbnb property and reservation data.
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
The Boca Grande Health Clinic is celebrating its 75th anniversary. For this occasion the Boca Grande Clinic Foundation will host a gala street party on Thursday, April 7, to revel in this momentous occasion and to thank the entire island community for their support.
Festivities will include food trucks, celebratory beverages and entertainment by the “Swinging Bridge” bluegrass band.
The Clinic has come a long way since the mid-1900s, when an out-of-town doctor treated patients once a week in a small room above the Railroad Depot. The journey to 75 years wasn’t always easy. It required courage, passion and perseverance – and the steadfast support of the island community.
The party will be held on 3rd Street between the Clinic and the Annex from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 7.
Written by T Michele Walker on . Posted in Profiles.
To put the timeline into perspective, by the time Betsy’s father built their home in 1940, their family had been on the island for 32 years.
“When the train moved to Boca Grande, my grandfather, Jerome, Sr., was offered a job and eventually opened up his own business, Fugate’s Drug Store,” she said.
Fugate’s opened in 1916, in the same building where it operates today. A few years earlier, Jerome married Betsy’s grandmother in 1911 and in 1912, Betsy’s father was born on Banyan Street.
“My grandfather Jerome passed away in 1955, when I was pretty young, but he was a big fisherman. He was involved with the very beginning days with the tarpon fishing,” Betsy said. When he passed away, Betsy’s uncle took over the family business.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
Boca Grande celebrated the 2022 Boca Grande Woman’s Club Spring Fair last Saturday. “Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler” or “Let the Good Times Roll” was possible due to the 100 or so dedicated volunteers who participated both during the Fair and leading up to the big day. The morning started with the annual bike and golf cart parade, and it continued at the Boca Grande Community Center with great food, games, dog agility shows and so much more.