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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Good times rolled at another great Spring Fair

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

Boca Grande celebrated the 2022 Boca Grande Woman’s Club Spring Fair last Saturday. “Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler” or “Let the Good Times Roll” was possible due to the 100 or so dedicated volunteers who participated both during the Fair and leading up to the big day. The morning started with the annual bike and golf cart parade, and it continued at the Boca Grande Community Center with great food, games, dog agility shows and so much more.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Danger, danger on the South Path

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

The GICIA does a very good job of encouraging safety on the path north of First Street. Behavior on the path south of First is the anti-GICIA rules of the road. The South Path is under the jurisdiction of Lee County. There are not even signs encouraging speed limits or even courtesy toward pedestrians. It is an autobahn for golf carts – faster is better with NO consideration for pedestrians. I run on that path six days a week, staying ever alert for fast carts driven by people of all ages. It is dangerous.

The fence goes up, the fence comes down

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.

… a Walton County circuit court judge issued a lengthy ruling earlier this week regarding his rejection of a challenge to the precedent of the public’s “customary use” of dry sand beach. Judge David Green countered a development company that owns property on the Gulf of Mexico after representatives claimed that customary use violates state and federal constitutions. 

A sitdown with State Attorney Amira Fox

Written by Marcy Shortuse on . Posted in News.

“Every year we improve a little bit in the statistics, and a lot as far as violent crimes,” she said. “In 1990 when I became a prosecutor, our circuit’s population was half of what it is now, but the crime rate was double what it is now. That’s how much we’ve changed. Now we are recognizing what’s important in criminal justice – what requires a long sentence and what does not, and which offenders can be rehabilitated. If you’re a violent person, you have to be incarcerated. On the other hand, a large portion of offenders can be helped and rehabilitated, and hopefully it will bring about less recidivism. After I was elected I looked to what I could do to make sure we didn’t just rest at the top … I wanted the statistics to be even lower. I had to realize what our biggest challenges were as a circuit and at this time it is the opioid epidemic, and fentanyl coming into the picture.”

Clean water event brings a crowd to Power House

Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.

BY SHEILA EVANS Shown above, Capt. Rhett Morris, Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades and Gil Smart, executive director of VoteWater and policy director of Friends of the Everglades.                           Photos by Dusty There was no sugar coating the situation when […]

GICIA Mercabo Cove seagrass planting effort continues

Written by Guest Columnist on . Posted in News.

The GICIA contracted with Sea & Shoreline, a Florida-based aquatic restoration firm that has two decades of experience restoring fresh and saltwater habitats and whose nursery grows seagrass for restoration projects all across the southern U.S. Last March Sea & Shoreline planted  3,400 units of seagrass within the cove area.  A team of biologists spent a week in dive gear carefully hand-planting each grass unit. Over the last year, the biologists have had monthly visits to the site to monitor and maintain the seagrass. This week the final monitoring report was delivered, and the results are so positive that the GICIA has contracted with Sea & Shoreline to complete a second phase of seagrass planting within the flushing channel of the cove. The second phase will use observations documented during the 12 months of monitoring and establish a plan that will complement and build upon the success of the first planting phase.   

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Please be patient with parking

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

Spring has come to Boca Grande, and while we welcome the beautiful weather, it also brings the annual frustration of parking on the island. The Boca Grande Parking Panel is very aware of the challenges we face and the limited amount of parking, versus the number of visitors. We encourage all golf cart owners/operators to take advantage of designated golf cart parking during this busy time. The BGPP works closely with the Lee County Sheriff’s Department and Lee County Parking Rangers to monitor and enforce parking on the island; however, it can be overwhelming at times.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: A request to restore the estuary

Written by Boca Beacon Reader on . Posted in Letters to the Editor.

The entire tidal exchange that nurtured this natural estuary has been entirely blocked and cut off by the construction of Fiddler’s Green; no water passes south of the small bridge across what once was Lemon Creek, and in our driest season, fast approaching, the entire lake upland goes bone dry. Engineering work done by Divers and McCleod in December of 1985 refers to “Lemon Creek” with a line indicating mean high water line, which in my experience is a tidal reference. If the Beacon chooses to print any of this, I would hope that elders of the community that remember the Conway Bridge might speak up, this estuary should be restored. Unlike the tremendous amount of work that has been completed upland by the LBCWP, none would be required u