Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Featured News, Police & Fire.
Woman leaves child in car to swim with sharks off Bokeelia, Boca Grande Fire Department marine unit responds The Boca Grande Fire Department had to make their way all the way to Bokeelia on Monday, Sept. 11 after a call came in regarding a female who had left her young child in the car to […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community History, Featured News.
A parcel on Placida Road, with an empty 1920s cottage just south of the Hacienda condominiums and across from Cape Haze Resort, may have a new owner.
The property was originally listed on the commercial real estate website Loopnet as an 11-acre waterfront development site and offered at $2,750,000. It had been listed by Sunmark Realty Agent Sage Andress, and is now marked as “under contract.” Andress, reached by email, was not able to talk about the sale until “all deals are closed.”
The parcel, also advertised as 8019 and 8436 Placida Road, includes a historic bungalow that has had an extensive history discussion on the Placida/Cape Haze Memories Facebook page. 8019 Placida was advertised at 4.22 acres, and 8436 Placida was advertised at 3.12 acres.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Featured News, Obituaries.
Donna High Adams passed away peacefully after a long illness on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 at her home in Birmingham, Ala. surrounded by her loving family and friends. Donna was born January 29, 1959 in Rockland County, N.Y. She moved to Columbus, Miss. in 1975. She is a 1977 graduate of Heritage Academy and she […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The summer has been an active season at the Boca Grande Community Center, and that will continue through the fall. Here are some highlights of what has happened and what is to come at the Boca Grande Community Center, 131 First Street West: Summer Camp Lee County Parks & Recreation staff wrapped […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Hurricanes don’t always bring good things, but the latest hurricane, Idalia, has not only brought the American flamingo back to Florida, but highlighted the potential for the eventual restoration and return of the species to Florida on a permanent basis.
Like so many Floridians, Ashley Scarpa had never seen them in Florida, even as an experienced birder.
“To be honest I went searching for them,” said Scarpa, who has in the past monitored birds for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. “Someone had posted that they had been seen in the area, and I sprinted to where they have been seen.”
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community, News.
Gasparilla Island Water Authority (GIWA) members will have a rate increase of five percent beginning Oct. 1, 2023, and future rate increases would be able to be approved administratively by the county manager of Lee County, rather than having to be approved at full Board of County Commissioners meetings. On Tuesday, Sept 5 the Lee […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Community, News.
To the Editor: The summer has been an active season at the Boca Grande Community Center and that will continue through the fall. Highlights from the Community Center, 131 First Street West, Boca Grande: Summer Camp Lee County Parks & Recreation staff wrapped up a successful summer camp. Camp was at full capacity of 60 […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The proposal submitted by the property owner at 161/181 Gilchrist Ave. to the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board earlier this year, one that was rejected by the Board, will be heard by the Lee County Hearing Examiner’s Office in September. The reason for the hearing, called for by the property owner, 161 Gilchrist, LLC on May 5, is to challenge the rejection based on the allegations that the Board failed to apply the correct law to the matter and did not provide “competent, substantial evidence” to support the denial. On May 17 the Hearing Examiner accepted the appeal and requested the county attorney to prepare a written submittal to explain why the request was or was not valid.
There were several reasons cited by the property owner’s attorney to argue the local board’s decision, most of which the Hearing Examiner said were irrelevant or outside their authority. However, they did say, “the only remaining issue raised in the Notice of Appeal for which the HEX does have authority is the question of whether there is competent substantial evidence on the record to support the denial, and any hearing on this matter should be limited as such.”
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Health & Wellness.
It brings preparedness to a whole new level to be responsible for the daily needs of a pet that will be in a new environment, quite often around strangers, foreign noises, sights and smells. While you can have all of the supplies your pets’ needs taken care of, the most important part of prepping is to try to understand their mindset in such unfamiliar circumstances.
There are several stories in Lee County, where Fort Myers Beach was almost entirely wiped out, where residents were holding their exhausted pets over their head with water up to their chin. Those pet owners were ready to lay down their lives for their animals – and you either understand it or you don’t.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Charlotte County Environmental Specialist Suzanne Derheimer will host a presentation on Charlotte County beach nesting species from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 at Harold Avenue Regional Park Recreation Center in Port Charlotte. It is located at 23400 Harold Ave. The presentation will focus on sea turtles and shorebirds and […]