Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Profiles.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Capt. Paul Wagenseil is quite familiar with tarpon fishing in Boca Grande Pass. Born and raised in Englewood, Paul started fishing when he was a kid. After receiving a kayak as a birthday present, he started exploring local creeks and canals, and his love of the sport grew from there. “I was raised […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, News, Opinion.
■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE “Heard an old man by the pier asking where the time’s all gone, it’s been almost 50 years; my, how this place has grown. “Used to come here by ferry before they built that big hotel; this old island feels the same, this old island is aging well. “ The pirates […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN If you’ve taken a walk near the water at Gasparilla Island State Park over the past year, you’ve most likely noticed that the boardwalks on the beach side were pretty much washed out. A few months ago, two state park rangers decided to do something about it. Robert Longo and Shannon […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Uncategorized.
■ SUBMITTED BY GIWA The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s (SWFWMD) governing board voted last week to increase water restrictions throughout the region, which affects the Charlotte County portion of the Island. This week’s rain is very welcome, but SWFWMD’s hydrologists report a rainfall deficit of 11 inches since the start of the dry season […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
■ STAFF REPORT The Boca Beacon team is proud to announce the newspaper is up for nine awards at the Florida Press Association Better Weekly Newspaper Contest, to be held this year in August in Naples. Beacon cartoonist Dave Hortoon is up for an award in the “Original Local Editorial Cartoon” category, and both Editor […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN A local television news station reported recently that Lee County is looking to move a 1920s cottage once owned by Katharine Hepburn to Fort Myers Beach. The report stated, “The Boca Grande Historical Society next month will discuss allowing the County to relocate the cottage. The plan is for its new home to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Uncategorized.
■ BY SUE ERWIN A home watch worker observed seven baby ducks that appeared to be stranded in a swimming pool at a home on Jose Gaspar Drive recently. When Cindy Burleson noticed that the water level was too low for tiny ducks to get out and she didn’t see the parent ducks around, she […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Mosquitoes seem to be more of a problem this year than the previous few. And it’s very possible the lack of rain in the late spring contributed to a massive larvae problem occurring in the area now. Mosquito control depends on the amount of rainfall, and since we didn’t get much […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, News, Uncategorized.
■ BY SUE ERWIN Alex Shouppe has been fishing in Boca Grande with his grandfather, Byron Shouppe, Sr., and his dad, Byron Jr., since he was strong enough to hold a fishing pole. And years of practice reeling in tarpon in Boca Grande Pass finally paid off recently when his team took first place in the 2017 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, Featured News, News, Opinion.
■ SUBMITTED BY MOTE MARINE LABORATORY & AQUARIUM Join Mote Marine Laboratory for the fourth annual Sarasota Lionfish Derby, which invites scuba divers to compete for more than $3,500 in cash prizes by netting or spearing lionfish in an effort to control the spread of this invasive species. The derby will take place from July […]