Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast has been protecting nature in Southwest Florida since 2003. After first being accredited in 2010, then reaccredited in 2016, they are delighted to announce the renewal of their land trust accreditation for another five years – once again proving their commitment to professional excellence and to […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
So how does the state progress with its clean water plans if coastal homes with private septic and wastewater systems are being denied a better way? That’s a question that many are speculating about right now, and with a reconsideration hearing coming up in early September, people who have the same questions need to speak up.
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.
The primary election held on Tuesday, Aug. 23 yielded 41 votes onsite at polling place 122, otherwise known as the Boca Grande Community. Of those 41, seven were Democrats, 33 were Republicans and one was a Non-Affiliated voter. There were 174 mail-in votes for our precincts and no early voters. County wide voter turnout was […]
Written by Staff Report on . Posted in News, Sports & Outdoors.
BTT to develop ‘Vulnerability Index’ for tarpon habitats using local stats
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Columns, Community History.
Boca Beacon backpages FIVE YEARS AGO A 2002 Glacier Bay named La Pirate was missing, and everyone was on the lookout. The new boardwalk officially opened at Gasparilla Island State Park. TEN YEARS AGO Boaters, boarders, swimmers and paddle boarders were keeping a close eye on several pieces of metal rebar sticking out of the […]
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
First off I would like to offer condolences and respect to Mr. Tim Dixon and the family for the loss of his brother Sam. I would also like to say how exquisite and memorable were the series he submitted to the Beacon regarding the history and current state of historic Eldred’s Marina. That was an excellent idea to put into the public record all the trials and tribulations the family has endured. I certainly hope the Charlotte County Commissioners have the grace and decency to decide on behalf of the Dixon family. It’s the only right thing to do after all their years of giving to the community.
Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.
To the Editor: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is closing the recreational harvest of red grouper in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico, excluding waters of Monroe County, on August 30 for the remainder of the 2022 fishing season. Harvest will reopen on Jan. 1, 2023. This closure is consistent […]
Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in Editorial, News.
It has been more than seven months since the morning of January 16, when an F1 tornado swept the bottom of Cape Haze Peninsula, damaging more than two dozen mobile homes in Gasparilla Island Estates. You would think in that amount of time, certainly the damage was cleaned up and repaired. But time has been […]
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History, News.
In 1992 Charlotte County decided to put a public boat ramp on a strip of property they owned along the old railroad bed in Placida. It was an old rail siding that was abandoned when the rail line shut down, and the County had acquired ownership of the property after the train stopped running. The County had built the fishing pier on the old trestle, and this would provide parking for the pier as well as a boat ramp. The property was on the west side of what is now the walk path to the pier, and adjacent to the Mercury Marine test facility. Mercury got wind of it, and they didn’t want people launching boats and parking beside their operation, so they offered to trade the current site of the public ramp for the strip adjacent to their property. Why not just pass that headache to someone else? The County took them up on the proposal and built a boat ramp right beside Eldred’s Marina, then started giving away what the marina was charging for. Now the County was in direct competition with a local business, but they were providing the service for free. Private businesses can’t compete with that.
Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in Community History, News.
My cousin, Linwood Parrish, was living on a houseboat in the marina and working around with Daddy on the island, and Linwood went to see Farrel Davis and obtained a loan to build a new barge. He and Daddy built the barge from 3/4 inch plywood and pressure-treated lumber, then fiberglassed the bottom. They got an old Lyman lap strake boat for a tow boat, and they were back in business. Daddy got a little flat-fender Willys jeep, built a trailer to put behind it, and we were really uptown! No more carrying lumber by hand! Later they bought a military deuce-and-a-half from Englewood Water District, and then came forklifts, tractors and other equipment. Later we added more length to the barge, about 10 feet if I remember correctly.