Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO Waylon, Matt and Dan took top honors in the Howl at the Moon Tournament. There were 39 releases in that three-hour tournament. TEN YEARS AGO The new “Love Thy Neighbor” plan proposed by the residents of Gilchrist Avenue seemed to be working … at least for the meeting held […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News.
There has been a time change for the ResilientLee meeting that is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17. The time is now from 4 to 6 p.m. The county will continue to distribute information as it becomes available. For more information, visit ResilientLee.org.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The Boca Grande streetlight MSBU, a.k.a. the “Iguana Board,” met on April 27 with only two of the three sitting members in attendance. That means there was no quorum, but Board Members Mark Masselink and Skip Branin did cover some topics with Lee County MSBU Manager Josh Malo.
There are two open seats on the committee, but at least one application is expected shortly. Applications can be found at leegov.com/budget/mstbu/committees.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor, News.
I am writing to ask for your support in OPPOSING the plans the Boca Grande Clinic has submitted to Lee County to build a 13,299 square foot medical building at the cost of $35 million on the site of the current Clinic Annex on the SE corner of 3rd and Park. (You can access the plans through the Lee County link found at the bottom of this email – the relevant pages are 19 thru 37).
These plans will be discussed at the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board Meeting on May 10th at 10 a.m. in the Women’s Club Room at the Community Center. Please join me at the meeting to speak out against this plan!!
Additionally, it is vital that voices be heard – so please write a letter of opposition/concern and send to the attention of Janet Miller (JMiller@leegov.com) no later than Monday, May 8 so she may include in the record. Additionally, a copy of the letter should be sent to the attention of the Boca Grande Historic Preservation Board: contact@bghpb.org.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Community History, News.
The Whispering Bench is gone. Early Saturday morning heavy equipment operators came and began to gouge it out of the earth, while Boca Grande residents gathered around and did their best to protest it. Some tried to block the way of the equipment. Others tried to climb on the equipment. There were epithets thrown, as well as more than one projectile.
Someone in the crowd was heard to say, “They just started a war.”
It’s not as much about the bench as it is about the mentality of those who are moving here. Many of these are people who don’t know or care about the island’s rich history and, more to the point, they don’t know about how things have been done around here for almost 150 years.
But it didn’t matter in the end; the job was done.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
At its April annual meeting, the Woman’s Club announced that 21 area organizations would receive funding through the BGWC Community Grants Program, for a total of $308,417. Grants were awarded this year to the following organizations: Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS); Boca Grande Art Center; Boca Grande Historical Society; Boca Grande Preschool; Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association; Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA); Gasparilla Island Maritime Museum; Lee County Parks and Recreation; Mote Marine Laboratory; Royal Palm Players; and The Island School. Grants will also be given to L.A. Ainger Middle School Band; Lemon Bay High School (LBHS) Band Boosters; LBHS Chorus; LBHS NJROTC; LBHS Project Graduation; LBHS Theater Guild; and Lemon Bay booster organizations for the school’s football, girls basketball and softball teams.
In addition to awarding community grants, the Club has awarded $236,856 in scholarships for postsecondary education (university, college, trade or vocational) this season. BGWC has committed to providing scholarships to 26 new scholars for the upcoming season. Scholarship recipients must qualify academically, display financial need via FAFSA, and have a verified island connection per the scholarship guidelines. The Scholarship and Community Grant Programs are funded through the Club’s annual fundraiser and proceeds from Boca Bargains.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
If there had been any concerns that the 2023 Strawberry Festival would suffer as a result of Hurricane Ian, they vanished quickly when members of the United Methodist Women’s board met recently to distribute $140,000 to local charities that serve women and children in need.
“It was a record year,” said Gloria Mitchell, who along with her daughter, Amy Mitchell, chaired this year’s Festival, held on March 4. “To say that we were surprised is an understatement. But we couldn’t be happier that we had this much money to distribute when there is so much need.”
Written by Sheila Evans on . Posted in Community, News.
Flooding on the Gasparilla Island Causeway after Hurricane Ian was the main topic of discussion for the spring meeting of the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA), held Thursday, April 22. The long duration of the flooding has had many people wondering why, and what can be done to prevent a recurrence.
There was agreement that the flooding was a highly unusual happening, with the volume of rain generated by the storm a major factor. Nevertheless, if reasonable steps can be taken to prevent a recurrence of the situation in future storms, the Board is determined to take those steps.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.
On Friday, April 14, 2023, under the cover of dappled light and surrounded by latticed brick walls and lush greenery, an intimate crowd of current and former board members of the Johann Fust Library Foundation, its Literary Advisors, and the live poets of Boca Grande gathered just beyond the children’s library in a magical space that has been christened Alice’s Secret Garden. They were there to dedicate the space to Alice Gorman and to express gratitude for her support of the Johann Fust Library Foundation’s mission: “To preserve the buildings and gardens of the library while providing a literary and cultural center for the residents and visitors of Boca Grande.”
Alice was first elected to the Board of Directors in 2006, when the Johann Fust was a private library. Cotton Hanley was president, Rosemary Bowler was vice president, and Board members included Paul Csank, Tim Dumas, Sue Fuller, Sandy Hemm, Bill Morton, Sue Shaffer, Charles Tyler and Daly Walker.
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in Community History, News.
Johns Knight is the newly-elected president of the Boca Grande Historical Society. The Knight family came to Florida in 1840, settling first in Manatee County and later in Charlotte County. Before arriving on Gasparilla Island in 1906 to work on the railroad trestle at the north end of the island, the Knight family members ranched cattle and had a store on the Peace River. In Boca Grande, several generations of the family have been caretakers, sheriff, boat designers, builders and salvagers, librarians and marina managers. Currently Johns is a realtor.