Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community.
BY SHEILA EVANS AND MARCY SHORTUSE Not only do we have a new cell phone tower in the middle of town, baby cell phone towers have popped up as well … and more are being planned. Right now we have two new “Q-tip” towers at the north end – one at Gulf Shores Drive and […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
Back in July of 1967, the headline in the News-Press of Fort Myers was, “What to Do About Eroded Tip of Boca Grande.”
Then, as now, islanders were looking to beach nourishment to help prevent erosion on the southern tip of Gasparilla Island. At that time, the Boca Grande Conservation Council, headed by Homer Addison of The Temptation, was in favor of establishing a park at the tip of the island, as the Lighthouse was for sale from the Coast Guard through the General Services Administration. It seemed an ideal solution; the only challenge being the “erosion problem.”
Six decades later, the issue of erosion, while not fixed, is regularly addressed through a mix of federal, local and tourist tax monies. Gasparilla, and indeed all of the Gulf of Mexico islands in Florida, are under regular schedules for replenishment. But what is also a challenge is the flooding at the tip of the island, which hit the south end’s streets and historic buildings during hurricanes Irma, Ian and Idalia.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community.
The annual Halloween Carnival will start a little earlier, at 9 a.m., on Saturday, Oct. 28 at the Boca Grande Community Center.. This event, sponsored by the Boca Grande Woman’s Club, The Friends of Boca Grande and Lee County Parks & Recreation, will feature the costume contest you all know and love, beginning sharply at […]
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in Community.
As insurance issues and condominium assessments have cleared up, buyers and sellers have been getting a better picture of property values and what the upcoming property season will entail, both on island and off.
“There were so many unknowns,” said Olivia Jones of Parsley Baldwin Real Estate. “There was ‘unknown’ from insurance, from condos.”
She feels that we are now at the stage where “some of the unknowns are now known.”
Written by Garland Pollard on . Posted in News.
Cabana Bay at … Boca Grande? Even though it’s at Rotonda Boulevard East? Well, why not. Gasparilla Road will apparently be home to this new RV park called Cabana Bay RV Resort by Boca Grande. The RV park will have entrances on both Gasparilla Road and Rotonda Boulevard East. This was approved by the Charlotte […]
Written by Boca Beacon on . Posted in News.
With Halloween upon us and the veil between natural and supernatural being very thin, we try to keep with the season by presenting you with some spooky tales. We have covered most of the ground on the island, but this particular story that was found earlier in the year was put in a folder for […]
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in News, Profiles.
It was time for Barbara Stirling to open a new book, to try something different. She is not one to stagnate or rest on her laurels, so the newest incarnation of Barbara is as a thespian.
No, that is a bit grandiose for her taste. She has taken up community theater.
“I am a novice actor. I am a behind-the-big-people-in-front kind of actor,” she insisted. “I am the kind of person who loves to watch and be with these actors and actresses. They are so enthusiastic and they are so inclusive.”
Barbara is one of several community members who have decided this year to be part of the Royal Palm Players. She is moving from an audience position to an “on stage” position. And she is loving it. She will be playing several parts in the first program of the season, “The Dining Room on Boca Grande,” opening in mid-November.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Featured News, Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor:
The structured parking plan that now seems to be a source of controversy is not about Gilchrist Ave. The plan is for the Lee County portion of Gasparilla Island. It is intended to protect our entire community from becoming a massive beach parking lot, which it soon will be because of the exploding population growth around us. Aside from the tens of thousands of platted lots on the Cape Haze Peninsula, there are thousands of new homes being built from Winchester Boulevard all the way out South River Road to I-75. Have you noticed the new subdivisions and apartments under construction on SR 776 on the way to Murdock? Where do you think all of these people will be going to the beach?
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor:
As a member of the Boca Grande Parking Committee, created by the GICIA in 2015, I am thrilled that a comprehensive parking plan is up for a vote by the Lee County commissioners on Tuesday, November 7th. Commissioner Kevin Ruane will present his structured parking proposal. It is very comprehensive, ensuring that, for example, a change in parking regulations that benefits one neighborhood doesn’t harm another. The commissioner’s plan is similar to the one he implemented very successfully in Sanibel.
Commissioner Ruane presented this plan to the Parking Committee in April 2022. The committee voted unanimously to adapt it for Boca Grande.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
FIVE YEARS AGOIslanders came together with donations for victiams of Hurricane Michael in the Panhandle. Smitty, J.T. and Chef Jim were back together in one place – Hudson’s Grocery. TEN YEARS AGOThe Temp’s martini sign got a check-up, as it was 36 years old. Jack Damioli resigned as president and general manager of The Gasparilla […]