Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Lee County Solid Waste has announced that debris collection for Hurricane Milton has concluded for unincorporated areas of mainland Lee County in addition to Boca Grande, Captiva and Pine Island. Collections on the sparsely populated islands of Upper Captiva, Useppa and Cayo Costa are ongoing. The county is now reminding residents of unincorporated mainland Lee […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Sports & Outdoors.
This season, the white pelicans returned to the area, and are now decamping on some of the new sandy flats created by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. In their yearly migrations, they find time to rest and recoup across the state, and in our area up and down Coral Creek and on Gasparilla Sound. […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Events, News, Sports & Outdoors.
The Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic opens on Saturday, Jan. 18. The all-island tournament, sponsored by the Boca Beacon’s publisher, Dusty Hopkins, will be held at the Boca Bay Pass Club, The Gasparilla Inn Tennis Club and the Boca Grande Club. It is all about bringing the island’s tennis players together. “I get the most out […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community.
The Gasparilla Inn employees are participating in a trash to treasure initiative – bringing the island back together. The first meeting to collect and clean remaining debris was well attended and everyone enjoyed pizza after their hard work. Photos submitted
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Community, Letters to the Editor.
BY RICK STAGER You may have seen a shopping cart abandoned on the side of Gasparilla Road near the billionaire’s airport on New Year’s Day and wondered how it got there. Let me tell you the story. On New Year’s Eve, I was driving west on Gasparilla Road to the UPS store in that strip […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Profiles.
It’s terrible when food is your enemy. Laura Witt is working to take the “bite” out of food that is meant to make us happy. Laura is a baker who makes exclusively gluten-free deliciousness. Laura is the daughter of Marilyn and the late Howard Witt, longtime residents of Chicago and Boca Grande. Laura has decided […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Features on presidents in Boca Grande, a hurricane roundup, and a weddings page The January/February edition of the Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Magazine is out now with new feature stories, recipes, shopping and social pages. Featured stories include a history of Florida’s National Airlines, a collection of photos from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, a look […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
The island Disaster Fund is now at $3,596,000 to aid island non-profits and businesses. “It keeps coming in,” said co-organizer Larry Hannah, who is one of a group of volunteers who are helping to sort and select the donations that have helped with recovery from hurricanes Helene and Milton. Officially they are ending the fund […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
The coastal catamaran American Glory arrived in Boca Grande Pass on its Florida Gulf Coast and Keys Cruise on New Year’s Day. They run through March. She has capacity for 100 guests, and is part of American Cruise Lines, which has American flagged ships exploring the U.S. The vessel was built in 2023. Photos by […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, Sports & Outdoors.
To the Editor: On behalf of our permit holder, Denise Juergens, I am writing this letter from the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association (BGSTA) to acknowledge and thank the generous individuals, businesses and organizations who have supported the BGSTA during the 2024 sea turtle nesting season. Each of them provided a significant resource for us, […]