Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Charlotte County Emergency Communications Centers are requesting assistance from the public in relation to their cellular devices and 911 accidental calls. Charlotte County has seen a 33% increase in 911 calls compared to the same time in 2022. Much of this increase is believed to be related to a cellular phone operating […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
There’s a lot of work to be done at the south end of the island, specifically at the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse, the Amory Chapel and even on Cayo Costa. As many of our readers are probably well aware, trying to set things right after a storm of the magnitude of Hurricane Ian is a game of “Hurry-Up-and-Wait,” which can be tedious and frustrating. It is no different for our historic landmarks at the south end that we love so well.
According to Sharon McKenzie, the executive director of the Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS), the laundry list of repairs that need to be done is long. Knowing it is important to keep residents of the island abreast of what’s going on, she gave us a peek into what they are going through right now. They cannot lobby, only inform when it comes to these matters.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
The Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board has just one item on the agenda this month for their meeting at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 14 in the Community Center auditorium, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be brief. The saga of the property at 161/181 Gilchrist Avenue, owned by the Adam family of Texas, continues with a discussion about the validity of attempting to name a tree there as historic.
At the Board’s last meeting, one of their members, Becky Paterson, expressed concern for the banyan tree on the east side of the property by the sidewalk known to some as “The Octopus Tree.” It was named as such back in the 1920s and ’30s by the island children who used to climb it.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Tim Bonisolli has been named the new supervisor of the Boca Grande Community Center. Tim started his career with Lee County as a senior equipment operator on Boca Grande in 2006 and most recently was a Lee County park ranger on the island. Tim has been working in Boca Grande since 1990, when he started as a maintenance crew member for The Gasparilla Inn. Stop by to welcome him.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve two measures to assist people affected by Hurricane Ian with housing needs. The Board voted to approve an amendment to the 2023-2026 Local Housing Assistance Plan for demolition and reconstruction of single-family homes occupied by income-qualified households. This strategy includes elevating existing […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Florida Department of Health in Lee County has issued a Health Alert for the presence of harmful blue-green algal toxins in Caloosahatchee River – Fort Myers Shores. Residents and visitors are advised to take the following precautions: Do not drink, swim, wade, use personal watercraft, water ski or boat in waters […]
Boca Grande Webcam See the blue-green water of the Gulf of Mexico and the one-mile stretch of beach at Gasparilla Island State Park for yourself. You’ll be right next to the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum built in 1890. Boca Grande Webcam provided by Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, Barrier Island Parks Society and […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
The Dog Park at Wheeler Road Community Park, 305 Wheeler Road, Boca Grande, will close Monday, June 5 for renovations and project completion. A reopening date will be announced at leeparks.org and on Lee County Government’s social media.The County started construction on the Dog Park in June 2022, but completion was delayed due to Hurricane […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
Lee County Commissioners will hold their monthly meeting on Tuesday to discuss, among other things, Hurricane Ian expenditures.
According to the County Commissioners’ agenda, a donation of $150,000 from the Boca Grande Disaster Fund will be used for the renovation design of the tennis/pickleball court at Wheeler Road Community Park.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News, Police & Fire.
On an already smoky Boca Grande day caused by fires in Cape Coral and Matlacha, when a call came in as a boat fire at 8:43 p.m. on May 30, it was easy to speculate that the caller might just be seeing the smoke from the towns south of us. It was, however, a boat fire … not that it easy to figure out.