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.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
The GICIA does a very good job of encouraging safety on the path north of First Street. Behavior on the path south of First is the anti-GICIA rules of the road. The South Path is under the jurisdiction of Lee County. There are not even signs encouraging speed limits or even courtesy toward pedestrians. It is an autobahn for golf carts – faster is better with NO consideration for pedestrians. I run on that path six days a week, staying ever alert for fast carts driven by people of all ages. It is dangerous.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Entertainment, News.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
… a Walton County circuit court judge issued a lengthy ruling earlier this week regarding his rejection of a challenge to the precedent of the public’s “customary use” of dry sand beach. Judge David Green countered a development company that owns property on the Gulf of Mexico after representatives claimed that customary use violates state and federal constitutions.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
Those of us who spend a lot of time on Gasparilla Island are used to the term “invasive species” when it comes to certain anoles, lizards, fish and, of course, iguanas. But on Wednesday, March 16 that term took on a whole new meaning. That afternoon a Florida Park Service employee at Gasparilla Island State Park called Florida Fish and Wildlife to report that a UF grad student named Sean McKnight had been scoping a gopher tortoise burrow on their property and he found something unexpected – a Burmese python.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
“Every year we improve a little bit in the statistics, and a lot as far as violent crimes,” she said. “In 1990 when I became a prosecutor, our circuit’s population was half of what it is now, but the crime rate was double what it is now. That’s how much we’ve changed. Now we are recognizing what’s important in criminal justice – what requires a long sentence and what does not, and which offenders can be rehabilitated. If you’re a violent person, you have to be incarcerated. On the other hand, a large portion of offenders can be helped and rehabilitated, and hopefully it will bring about less recidivism. After I was elected I looked to what I could do to make sure we didn’t just rest at the top … I wanted the statistics to be even lower. I had to realize what our biggest challenges were as a circuit and at this time it is the opioid epidemic, and fentanyl coming into the picture.”
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Don’t forget to stop by The Island School PTO’s lemonade stand and TIS dribbling team performance on Wednesday, March 30 at the Community Center Court and Pavilion (behind the Boca Grande Community Center and The Island School. The Dribbler performance will begin at 4:30 p.m., while The Island School’s PTO lemonade stand will open at […]